I'm Cold and I Want to Go Home
by Capelli d'Angelo
Summary: Your tears are freezing as they fall, but you can't stop now.
1. Prelude

First things first, let's make this clear:

You. Are.

It's a fact so simple, so essential, so present, in the past and seemingly in your own long future ahead, it is often overlooked.

'I am what?'

You are, and that's all.

Remember that.

* * *

You are yourself, and nobody else.

* * *

"You."

* * *

You are yourself, and nobody else.

* * *

"You, who can now hear my voice. Might you be a... human?"

The word is said softly, carefully, as if someone, you in particular, may think the voice insane. You do, but the voice cannot be any farther gone than you, you who can hear the voice, you who is human. You who now hears the whispers of the wind in the leaves.

* * *

The wind isn't blowing and the trees are gone.

* * *

"If you are, then please: listen to my plea. I want you to save the Pokemon world. We need your


	2. Exposition

_WHO'S READY FOR A REWRITE OVERHAUL OF LIKE EVERYTHING BEFORE I EVEN FINISH THE STORY_

_(a.k.a. Gates to Infinity melodrama meets self-fulfillment)_

* * *

For lack of a better description: what.

Your head blows up into a billion pieces. Sanity flies right out the window. Wait, Pokemon? Digimon is way better, dude, it's like-

Wait, what happened? You don't know (yet). I don't know (I pretend not to). No one knows (kind of).

Then, a cry for help. Loud as the screamer could muster, by the sounds of it.

And then you _see_.

Things are happening. Many things at once. Not what you're used to. Or maybe you are. You still don't know whether anything actually happened. There's a Pokemon. Small and pink. Like a small green bean. But bigger. And pinker. It's hard to tell any details, as the angle changes in a matter of fractions of seconds. This had better not just be a video. Sure looks HD. Like 4000-some pixels or something. Mom would love-

Okay, seriously. Amount of participation in consensus reality left: zero kilometers.

The Pokemon. It's running. Slowly. As fast as it can, though. Rather, it seems to be floating over the dark brown ground. Some barren patch of moorland, or infertile farmland, maybe. Whatever.

Then, the angle switches once more, and it pans over to show a dragon. The two appear to be in a cave, and the stronger Pokemon chasing the other. Three heads. The dragon has three heads. Its brilliant daggers look like they're glistening, despite the darkness abound. Each tooth looks sharper than the last. Oh, honestly? Unfair. It's like playing tag with Usain Bolt and a gun.

A deafening roar that leaves your head spinning; in the few seconds the dragon had its mouth open, you caught a view of its unsightly jaws. If you ever see that sight again in your whole life, it'll be too soon.

Soaring on its feathered black wings, the dragon smiles again, at you, this time. Then, it ends.

What'd just happened? A dragon attacks a small giant bean. Bean hopefully does not die. Wait, does this have anything to do with that plea for help? It _was _an omniscient voice, and this pink Pokemon seemed- ahem, _seems_\- to have some sort of telekinetic powers, what with floating around and all. It makes sense! And, and, and... oh, and that whole 'save the Pokemon world' thing probably means that you need to protect Pokemon from that dragon! But you kind of don't want to die! No, wait, if you use the power of sanity, you can erase its existence! Yes! Perfect! You are a genius!

No, seriously. Genius coincides with insanity, right?

You've figured it out or something, because something fuzzy appears. It's your reflection. There's no mirror, though. There's nothing.

You peer deeper into the mass of... your, uh, shadow. Or something. You realize you're naked. Embarassing. The shadow, though. It's kind of pudgy. Since when did your childhood metabolism wear off? You also have a tail, apparently. You can move it, too. You're no furry yourself, but you're sure this'd please people. Oh, and you have a mustache. Made of. Uh. Enamel. Or something. And there's a big triangular crest on your head. You have three fingers, and two toes.

Hmm.

Something isn't right.


	3. Duet

The image clears.

You're a Pokemon! A Pokemon. Really?! You'll never get used to having to waddle around, with arms shorter than... your hair? What is that, anyways? Some kind of horn. And your eyes are bloodshot and all- no wait, no, they're just red. Boy, the things you would've done for cool red eyes as a human. Now you're stuck with them forever! With bags under them too! Are those sideways teeth? Tusks or something? You can't even bite down. Wait, you don't even have teeth. Oh my god. Yet you're wearing a scarf. No, wait, that's a giant donut-shaped collarbone. And you're some kind of murky green all over, without an inch of hair over your entire body combined. Though you've got to admit, scales are pretty cool too.

As you get used to your new body, your feet (paws?) touch something. Wait, there's something here again! You can't hear it, but you can feel it. No mysterious omnivoice, but something solid. Your front feet touch down as well, and you know then that you are now on the ground. It's a mysterious void of infinite blue you're standing on, as well as a glass-like cover over it.

Then, you feel the clouds gather around you, swirling, whirling, and getting steadily brighter. With fog pooling at your toes, you see a small light hovering in front of you, as if a firefly. Nothing happens, but you know you're expected to do something, specifically, realize something. You do.

You take a few steps towards the shining, unsteady on your new anatomy. Tendrils of smoke curl around you. The light doesn't move, but it looks almost as if it's still the same distance from you.

The light flickers, and you stop in your tracks instantly. What did you do?

It goes out.

You can still see, vaguely (was your eyesight always this good?). The clouds haven't dispersed, simply moved aside, parting in the middle, as if with a mind of their own. The temperature climbs just the tiniest bit, and the wind (you thought there was no wind here?) starts to stir, as if the entirety of this world, this mystery is saying, 'lights, camera, action!'

On cue, the subspace brightens grandly, like opening the forbidden door. There's something lighting it up, something underneath you. Eyes narrowed, doing your best to fight against your instincts, you look down at your feet at something brighter than the sun. You can't see anything. It's just light, pure and simple and golden pure. It takes the shape of the sun, with light reaching beyond your body towards the heavens. All around are blue, circular runic marks appearing on the ground. The clouds run laps around you as the earth groans in protest. You look around, but there is nothing beyond here but a darkness and an absence of everything. Where is the voice when you need it?

You jump out of the light, just to see what happens. As you expected, it simply follows you over to where you land, a few inches away. This body does you no favours. A rumble, louder than all the others, sounds, and you feel the ground almost giving way. A gale knocks you off your feet. The light below you flickers out, then surges back. It is electric blue now, the same colour as the runes all around. Speaking of which, were there always that many of them? And- wait, they're rising up from the ground. They're encircling you now. They invoke in you a sheer awe and terror that take your breath away.

Then, clouds: no wait.

Broccoli.

You love broccoli. Green, and ambiguously leafy, they're rough and soft. Yellow or deep green. A trunk with a texture far different than that of its own little mushroom clouds, which are considered its own flowers. Stems that branch out, and the space between them. The perfect blend of crunchy and spongy. A rougher, more wild taste, and a bitter, remorseful one. Broccoli keeps you alive. You love broccoli. It's odd to think that it is of the cabbage family. What, the mighty broccoli, lumped together with such peasantry?! Unthinkable. But yes, broccoli comes from the Italian word 'broccolo'. 'The flowering head of a cabbage'. You still have trouble believing that the broccoli is considered only a fraction of the lowest of the low. Incidentally, it originated in Italy, two millenia ago. It can be eaten raw or cooked, though it makes no difference to such a broccoli lover as you. You need no lovers but broccoli.

Below you, the broccoli floats in a stew. Browns and greens and blues and-

Wait, no, those are trees, and mountains, and water, and this can't possibly end well. How did you even know all that stuff about broccoli anyways?! You're crazy, but not enough to like vegetables!

The wind is a tornado roaring in your ears. You're falling, fast. Your eyes are closed, but you can't say the same of your mouth, no matter how hard you try. Lips flapping back to reveal gum and tusks. If someone were to see you, you're sure you'd have no dignity left at all. Or life, for that matter. How high up are you, to see clouds?! There's no way you'll make it. You try to flip yourself front-side up to stop the spit from flying into your face, but it's no use. At least you're only about a third as heavy as when you were human, but that doesn't matter too much right now. You'll go splat as good as any.

You don't.

You feel, rather than see, two green vines snaking up towards you at high speed. They're thin and wrap around your waist. They're warm, too. They feel as if they're trying desperately to support your weight. You feel sorry for whatever they are. Your momentum must make you as fast as a bullet right now, and even a SWAT team would be hard-pressed to stop that. Poor vine things. You stop feeling sorry for them and start feeling sorry for yourself as you can now see each individual blade of grass in front of you.

Wham. Right in the nozzle.

Your nose feels like it's exploding, but then you realize you don't have a nose, just a snout. You don't have time to dwell on that thought. Soon enough, the rest of your face gets the same treatment. The rest of your body collapses behind you. It aches. There are too many black spots in your vision to see anything properly, and your head hurts more than it ever has before. You're certain you've lost more brain cells than you can afford, especially consdering what you are at the moment. But you're alive. Oh my god, you're alive!

You slowly lift your head up- oh god that hurts- and, praying you aren't bleeding from your nose- um, nostrils- try to make out where you are. You can't see anything, but your ears have recovered from their earlier assault by the gale. And they tell you now that someone's here.

"Axew? Are you alright?"

A boy. No, wait, it could be a girl. Unless he's just putting on a falsetto. Making fun of you?! You'll kill him!

You blink a few times. Big red eyes peer up at... oh. Okay. It's another Pokemon. Guess that fall just destroyed every last bit of brain you had left. You stare at it. It's green, mostly. You stare some more. Oh my god, it's a plant. This Pokemon is a plant. There's a leaf on its tail and everything. Two thin green vines snake back into its body. Then this Pokemon must be what saved you from leaving this world. Did no wonders for mental health.

"Hello. Axew, correct?" It opened its mouth, and yes, this was indeed the owner of the voice. You stop questioning it anymore.

Axew? What? Is that your species? You do suppose that you are different kinds of Pokemon. Naturally, it'd address you as that. And yet you can communicate with it... different types of Pokemon can communicate with each other. That's impressive. Humans can't communicate with animals. Some humans can't even communicate with other humans. Why, even humans that speak the same language are often hard-pressed to accept others with conflicting views without getting upset. Like, it's really dumb, because-

"Excuse me, are you injured?"

Hurt? What? No. You're fine, thanks to this Pokemon. Well, you may have had some sort of head injury, but it was less than a concussion, so it should be alright. You're just lucky to have escaped with your life. Speaking of which... what is this, even? Where are you? Are there any other people in this stir-crazy world? How do you go back?

"Hello, excuse me. Can you talk?"

Oh, that's you it's talking to! Quick! You scramble for words: "Yes."

"That's good." The worried look stays. "So you're not hurt?"

"No. You saved me, right? With those vines of yours."

"Oh." A shy smile. "I didn't think that would do much. You're welcome."

"I must've been heavy. Sorry."

"It's fine. It was really strange, though, you fell right out of the sky!" It scratches its head. "You know, if I hadn't happened to hear you screaming, we would both be just a pile of broken bones right now."

How do you explain that now?! "Oh, um... yeah. Sorry."

The Pokemon stares at you for a moment, lips pursed. Then grins. "You'll be nice to have around, I'm sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?" you say. The other Pokemon pats you on the back lightly, amicably. Doesn't say anything. You take this chance to take it all in. You're in a pleasant forest, with flowers in bloom, lush green grass, and stunning trees. You are a Pokemon that fell out of the sky, and is now sitting next to another Pokemon. You were summoned here by a giant tiny flower pink bean Pokemon to save the Pokemon world. Alright, alright. Seems reasonable.

Right. Yes. Absolutely. What are you supposed to do now?! Do you brush this Pokemon off and try to find your way back?! Does this place even exist? Do you even exist? Does anything even exist? What happened, what's going on, and what's going to happen?! Can you trust this Pokemon? Is it even real? You don't even know its name, or its gender! Do Pokemon have genders?!

You sigh. The other Pokemon takes note of it. "What's wrong, Axew?"

Forgetting your reply to the question, "What's Axew?"

"You're a kidder, aren't you."

"What's Axew?"

A pause. "You do know that no one likes it when someone does that."

"I'm sorry. But I'm..." You pause. Can you tell this Pokemon what you are? Pokemon are strong, right? You don't know how to fight, not even as a human. And this Pokemon... it was strong enough to stop you from dying, why, not even leaving a scratch on your body after such a freefall. If it turns against you, your hope's going down the drain.

"Nevermind." The Pokemon moves on, as if sensing that there was something behind that that didn't have to be told. "So, where do you come from?"

"You mean which country?"

"What is that?"

Oh, right. Oops.

The Pokemon stands up and moves away from you a little, apprehensively. You can't help but feel hurt, somehow more than you were when you fell. Great. Splendid first impression you've made.

"Please, I know you came from the sky, and that was really odd, but I mean where you live. Where your home is. And please do not tell me you live up there."

Well, you kind of do, don't you? You live on the other side of the sky. You can't just say that. But you can't lie, either. You can't afford to lose anymore of this Pokemon's trust. Besides, who knows what kind of connections such a strong Pokemon has? It could turn every Pokemon in this world against you.

Okay.

As you open your mouth, you pray it will open its heart.


	4. Trill

"Do you know what a human is?"

Eyebrows ever so slightly raised. "Yes."

"I am one."

"Really."

The vague amusement in those eyes is hard to ignore, but you take the plunge, because there's no going back now.

"Please listen to what I have to say."

It doesn't reply.

"I am a human. My first name is Ned. I come from the human world. I don't know how, but somehow, I ended up in this weird place. And a pink flowery Pokemon called for help. No, wait, that happened after. Sorry. It asked me to save the Pokemon world, since I was a human. I didn't get it. I still don't, obviously. And then, a big dragon started chasing it, and it cried for help. Then, there were a bunch of runes and light, and I was turned into a Pokemon. No wait, that's the wrong order. Well, either way, I became a Pokemon. And then I started falling out of the sky, and you caught me, and saved my life, and I'm sorry I sounded rude or disrespectful, because I meant none of it, and I owe you everything for me still being here."

That was a bit over-the-top. Okay, a lot, actually. You take a deep breath and wait. And wait. And wait.

And wait.

"Okay."

'Okay'?! What's that supposed to mean? You try to keep a blank expression, but you're sure you're not doing it very well.

"However, I have some questions."

"Oh." That isn't what you expected to hear. You can hear your voice breaking with a mixture of spent relief and impending anxiety. "Go ahead."

"What's a first name?"

Hmm. Okay. You play along. "It's your given name. You can also have a middle name. Your last name is the one that matches up to your family members'." The Pokemon seems completely lost. Great. You're not doing a too-great job of being.

"It's like your naming system!" you try. "The last name is the name of all Pokemon of that kind, like Axew, and the first and middle name are the names your parents give you."

"That's odd. Which name do you use, then?"

"All of them, but it depends. Usually, you'd call someone by their first name, or a shortened form of their first name."

Its eyebrows are knitted so tightly together you'd think they'd never pull apart. "So, what, should I call you E, then?"

"Uh, no, Ned itself is a short form of my first name."

"Oh. I see. So, do all humans have the same last name?"

"No, actually. It depends on their most recent ancestry...? Well, we are all one species, but we have all sorts of last names, so I'm not sure, actually. I guess, at some point, names just started branching off." This is getting kind of off-topic.

It tilts its head, to one side, then the other. After an eternity, it decides on: "You're weird."

"You're talking."

The Pokemon's soft smile weaves itself back onto its face. You're glad to see it's more at ease again, though even to your own ears, your story is starting to sound weirder and weirder. It's the Pokemon blood flowing through you, it's got to be.

"Alright, here's my last question."

"You're only asking two? You made it sound like we'd be here all day!"

"Well, that's because I'm not interested in you."

You snicker to yourself mentally at the thought of a Pokemon rejecting your advances. "How come?"

"Well, I don't believe that you're a human at all."

"Oh. Yeah. Obviously. Figured." You didn't figure, actually. You swallow, and hope it didn't hear that. What now? A pause. "So, what's your question?"

"Is your story of what you have experienced, and to the best of your knowledge, true?"

Your turn to pause. "Are you asking me if what I said was the truth?"

"Not quite, but you can think of it that way, if you want."

"Then, yes. All I said is true."

"Then I believe you."

Your mouth opens a little, but you run out of words on the spot.

"I believe your story, Ned."

"What, are you crazy, too?!" It flinches. "Sorry. But how can you believe that?! Even I have trouble, now that I think about it."

You can see its mind working, choosing words carefully. "There are a lot of mysterious things out there, in the world. But in my opinion, maybe those things aren't all that big of mysteries at all. Maybe they're just things I've yet to know."

Now, you're the one smiling from cheek to cheek. "You're pretty open-minded, you know that?"

"I need to be," the Pokemon mutters, quiet voice dripping with venom, but doesn't elaborate. It shakes it off, and continues. "Anyhow, that's why I want to see things and do things no one's ever done before. I want to be the one to make the fairy tales true, and defy the legends. I want to meet mythical Pokemon that no one has ever seen. I want to explore deep caves and plunder treasures. I want to bring others happiness. More than anything, I just want to have an adventure, no matter in which form it might come."

You're unsure of how to reply. "You're really cool."

The Pokemon grins incredulously, and you feel your embarassment turn up to eleven. "Well, thanks, Ned. 'You're really cool', too."

"Shut up," you mumble, not without good nature. "Seriously, though, you do things and want to do things I'd never even dreamed of. I was a pretty normal kid back on the other side of the sky."

"You're a child? How old?"

"13."

"In days?"

"What? No! Years!"

"Oh, my god, you're old!"

"How old are you?" You don't feel ready for the answer.

"5223."

"In years?!"

"No, in days."

"Why would you measure your age in days?!"

"How else would I do it?"

"Using a calendar? Keeping track of the year? Doing simple math?"

"What?"

You facepalm. "Nevermind. I still have a lot of things to learn about your world, I shouldn't assume that things work the same way."

"Yeah. Uh, same here." The Pokemon still seems dazed from the word 'math'. You would be too, if you still went to school. Oh, god, wait.

School.

"Hey, so, how do I go back to my world?" you ask, panic rising at an alarming rate. "I have friends and family and a life there and I should, you know, really get going now."

"I don't think you can go back, Ned. You flew out of the sky."

"Am I stuck here?"

The Pokemon's eyes seem to scan yours, before saying, "Is that what you feel like?"

"Sorry. I just need to let them know I'm saving the Pokemon world. Well, I guess they'd never believe that, but still..."

"I'm sure we'll find a way back for you if we become adventurers. Explorers."

You look over, and see a trace of daring in the Pokemon's expressions. A mischievous glint, and a hint of a challenge. You suppose there's no way around it.

"Alright. I guess I'll stick with you, then."

"Fantastic!" The Pokemon sounded immensely relieved. To think that so much hinged on your word only minutes after you met...

Here's your chance. "But first, I have a few questions for you."

"Oh." The Pokemon pauses. Both of you know that you're just mirroring what the Pokemon said earlier. Whether or not this will be mockery or genuine is entirely up to you. The Pokemon shrinks into the grass. "Go ahead."

"What's your name?"

That isn't what it expected to hear. You can hear its voice shaking with a mixture of spent relief and impending anxiety. "Oh, I suppose I never told you. I'm Snivy."

"Oh. That's good. Snivy. Alright, are you a boy or a girl?" It stares. "Sorry, I just... I'm new to Pokemon, and... I... you know... can't really tell... um..." You trail off. It stays silent for a few more moments, as if debating how to respond.

"I am a girl."

"Oh, okay." You think about this for a few seconds. "Alright. Cool. Now, here's my last question."

"Okay."

"Do you exist?"

She looks straight at you, unblinking. "As far as I know, yes."

"In that case, there is not a doubt left in my mind that my mission here is true."

"Because maybe the Pokemon world is just a mystery you've yet to know?"

"You catch on fast."

"And you're a little too obvious," she replies flatly, but her smile, without a doubt, reaches her eyes. "So, what about you? Do you have a gender?"

"Well, yeah. I'm a boy. Can you not tell?" you ask, motioning towards your body vaguely.

"That's not exactly the issue, but..."

A long while passes. "So," you begin. "Do you live around here?"

"No, actually, I l- oh, no."

You jump to your feet. "What is it? Is something wrong?" You can't fight, you don't know how to fight, you don't know what your magical super Pokemon powers are, but you'll do your best.

"Ohhhhhhh no." Snivy jumps up and starts running towards the dirt path of the forest floor. She continues along it at a breakneck pace.

"Where are you going?" you call after her. "Wait! You're-" 'Too fast for me.' You bite back the words. You can't show weakness now! You start on a sprint, too, but you're no match for her. Curse these dainty little feet! But you know that even as a human, you wouldn't have been able to catch up.

Snivy slows down, hearing your calls. You can't thank her out loud out of pride, but you wish you could tell her how much you appreciated that. "Where are you going?" you pant.

"I've forgotten about the most important meeting of my life! Come on!"

"I'm not that fast!"

"Well, I'm not leaving you behind!" She grabs your tiny little arm and pulls you along as you dash down the forest trail together. Your feet thump on the dirt and trampled grass. Were the trees always this tall, and the flowers that detailed? Could you always see the ground in this much detail? Look, there's a tiny bit of gravel there! Oh, wow, look at that blade of grass! It's a green to yellow radial gradient at ninety-one degrees! Do short people always feel like this?

"Ned!" Snivy's voice sounds from up front. "Look!"

You do. The trees are sparse now, the meadows mostly replaced by worn cobblestone road. Snivy must be leading you to a town somewhere nearby. A small waterfall rumbles off of the cliff, and a red sign stands alone on the side of the road, crooked and too faded to make out words. Boulders line the way, golden, bronze, brown, and everything in between.

"This is Ragged Mountain's Western Entrance."

"Mountain?! We've gotta climb this thing?!" You look farther down, to where you presume would be east. Fallen trees and boulders find themselves cluttered all around like party decorations. You can see that a small cave lies just to the left of where you two stand, and the bridge beyond it is collapsed. However, if you look up, you can see more caves, and maybe, just maybe...

"Lord, help me. The bridge collapsed, and now I'm going to miss the biggest event of my life! And I was so close to achieving everything!"

"Hey, calm down. Look. See it?"

"Yes, I see it. Don't act so haughty, you're not the one here that knows that that cave entrance is bursting with hostile Pokemon. Pokemon I know have died going into those."

You look down at your feet. "Sorry." You remind yourself to never, ever question Snivy, ever. You're in her world, after all, and you should know by now that you don't make the rules here.

She sighs. "Sorry about that. I don't know. There's no other way, but it's unbelievably dangerous. I'll need your help, Ned."

"My help? You're fast and strong. You caught me and saved me from losing my life, even letting me leave without a scratch. All I did was slow you down on your way here."

"Don't be such an idiot."


	5. Tremolo

"Ragged Mountain's Western Cave," Snivy mumbles.

It's humid and marvellously dank. Light filters in through holes in the ceiling, which looks sturdy despite it. The ground is rough with a thin layer of smooth dirt on top. It can be brushed aside with a single foot. Just what kind of history does this place have? And how does its roof stay up like that? It appears to be supported by huge boulders, with spaces filled in with hard-packed dirt- not unlike an igloo, you think. Light green moss grows in the cracks. The air is damp and cold, and you feel another air, one of unease. You hurry to try and catch up to Snivy.

You find her just in time to see her crashing into a little gray mouse. You're not sure whether you should stay out of the scuffle, or provide her support. But she was right- there certainly are a number of hostile Pokemon if you two managed to get into a fight moments after entering.

"Ned! Come help!"

"I don't know how to fight!"

"Does it look like I do?" Another bodycheck.

"Yes! You have vines and speed and strength, all I have are nubby little hands!"

"I keep telling you you're an idiot!" Snivy cries. With a hard whip from a vine, the little mouse passes out.

Free from the immediate danger, you bounce up to her. "That was awesome! You took it out using your vine whip thing! You're so powerful, I don't know what you're so scared of."

She snorts. "If you think I'm powerful, I don't want to show you the rest of the world."

"Oh, please, you must be someone important."

"No, I really am not."

Time to pounce. "The way you speak and everything? It's so eloquent or whatever."

"I am afraid I've only ever spoken this way."

"It gets even fancier when you lie!"

"Fine, have it your way, gangster bro yo."

You don't even bother trying to stop your laughter.

"Anyways," Snivy murmurs, burying her face in her hands. "That was a Minccino I just knocked out."

"Wait, hold up, are you expecting me to remember these names?" You've never been too much of an avid student, to put it lightly.

"Well, if you're going to save the world and all."

"You're ridiculous."

"Me." Voice: completely flat. "Right. Well, either way, we should set up a strategy for higher efficiency, and therefore reduced time needed to leave this cave."

"You're serious about me taking part?"

"Yes, I was thinking that since you are insecure-" "Hey!" "-about your fighting skills, we should have something that involves me making the first strike. So, how about a vine whip, and then you can edge in an attack that assures the Pokemon won't get in another shot?"

"Okay, I guess. So, Vine Whip, then... what should we call it? Assurance?"

An obviously obvious groan comes out of her. "That sounds terrible, but okay."

"Well, excuse me, princess."

"The title I've always wanted," Snivy says, and continues her stride. Dang, she didn't get the reference. What use are Pokemon good for?!

Soon enough, the two of you walk into another room in the cave. In the center is a sleeping little girl. She doesn't react even when you and Snivy begin to whisper.

"What's that?"

"The Pokemon? They're called Gothita."

"Yeah, but why is it sleeping?"

"Pokemon are found asleep sometimes in these dungeons, too. It's their home, after all." That's an unsettling thought.

"We're going to attack it in its sleep? That's playing dirty."

Snivy huffs. "Yes. This is about survival. If the entirety of this cave were to come after us, we simply wouldn't leave alive."

"Fine. Go, then."

As expected, a slumbering baby poses no danger to you two, especially not when you're going all-out. It doesn't even manage to cry out before it's silenced for a long, long while to come.

Continuing along, you spot some blue flowers growing on the side of the wall. Are you two finally nearing the exit of the cave? It feels almost too easy. Approaching the flowers, you notice some darker blue berries. They have the appearance of a cross of blueberry and orange. "Hey, Snivy, what's this?"

"Oh, Oran Berries. Bring them along. If you eat them when you're injured, they'll heal you."

"IF we get injured," you correct.

"When we get injured." You gulp at the unflinching way she says it, like it's inevitable.

"Well, where do we put them? We don't have a bag nor clothes."

"What are clothes?"

"Nevermind." You mull the question over in your head. 'What are clothes?' You wonder how your mom would react if you said that.

"Just hold them in your hand, I guess."

It takes a while to navigate through the winding cave. The two of you fight through more Pokemon, and you add two more names to the memory bank: Woobat and Drilbur. You've improved the timing on your Vine Whip - Assurance combo, and developed new attacks. Snivy's basic Tackle has been worked on, and you've found that your nubby little hands do a surprising amount of damage, resulting in the new Scratch. Strange enough, it seems that both of your glares send shivers down opponents' spines, lowering their defenses with Leer. Along with this newfound repertoire, you also developed Focus Energy, which really helps before slugging a hard one. Snivy herself has discovered Pursuit, which she uses to chase down enemies you haven't completely subdued. All in all, you've fought enough Pokemon for a lifetime, seen way too many dead ends, and even drank out of an underground pond. You've also consumed altogether half of the Oran Berry bunch you picked. Out of hunger, rather than necessity.

"Snivy, over there!"

"Should we combo it?"

"No, dummy, it's the exit!" For once, you're the fastest runner amongst you two. Bursting through, you see sunlight in its full glory. So maybe you two didn't spend all that long in there. The waterfall gurgles brightly, and the grass is still a brilliant green. Ah, air. The real kind.

"Oh, lord," Snivy says. "I forgot again! I was rushing to get to the meeting!" She looks around, taking in her surroundings quickly. You marvel at it. "Okay, so it looks like we are on the Ragged Mountain Central Plateau. There's a fissure here in the centre, but if we cut down that tree, it should form a sturdy bridge for us to cross over to the east side."

"Cut the tree?"

"Is there a problem with that?"

"It's not good for nature."

"I am nature."

You cough. Right. She's a plant. "Yeah, um, my bad. So how do we do it?"

"Here." With a single Vine Whip, the massive tree falls over, crossing over like Snivy said it would. "Okay, let's go. Hurry."

You watch her as she runs across the old tree without hesitation. You wish you were that brave. It makes a dry sound, like it's cracking under her feet. "Alright, come on, we must hurry to the Ragged Mountain Eastern Cave."

"Okay." Taking a deep breath, you step onto the tree. It groans under your weight. You imagine you must be heavier than Snivy. This can't go well. The groaning is getting louder. Snivy has only just turned around. Her eyes go wide and she opens her mouth to yell, but you're already going down. The tree is, too. Rolling, rolling, rolling down the cliff, you somehow manage to stay atop. Falling, now, falling, down. With a crack, the tree stops on a boulder. You somehow made it, again.

"Ned! Are you alright?" She's much too far up for her vines to reach you. Her voice barely reaches you, even. There's no way she could make it if she jumped. With the tree bridge gone, the only place to land from there is a mess of boulders and holes to the center of the world. And her vines couldn't possibly support her weight. You don't want to think about all the reasons she won't make it, but you can't stop. If she had only gone down the tree bridge with you, you would've both been down here. But there are no trees to cut up there, not anymore.

"I'm fine! Somehow not hurt, again," you call back up.

"Good! I guess I'll have to go through the Ragged Mountain Eastern Cave myself!"

"You're not scared?"

A pause. "I am."

"Me too."

With a wave of the hand you can barely make out, Snivy slips out of sight. You can only pray for her safety now, but you know she'll be fine. She's strong and fast, and beat that Minccino by herself. Maybe you should've given the Oran Berries to her, because you don't need them out here. But, then again, there's no way she'll need them. She won't take a single hit.

Snivy. She's not unlike some humans you know. Maybe the Pokemon world has more parallels than you'd thought.

The air around is getting colder. You blow into your tiny little hands to warm them up. Snivy had told you more about Pokemon than you could possibly digest in there, so maybe now's an opportunity to reflect on what you've learned.

Pokemon have types. There are seventeen different types. Or was it eighteen? Snivy's a Grass-type Pokemon. Figures. But you... you're a Dragon-type. Now that was cool. You, a little tusk-lizard thing, a dragon? It explains the scales, but come on. No way do you compare to that big three-headed dragon that attacked the little flower bean Pokemon.

Different types have different resistances, weaknesses and immunities. Both of you have a weakness against Ice-types, so you'd have to watch out for that. Not that you'd ever go to like a glacier or anything, so it's nothing to worry about. You are also weak to Fairy-types, and fairy tales. You suspect Snivy is weak to fairy tales as well.

As you gain experience in battle, you can get stronger and use new moves. You can also evolve into completely different Pokemon. You wonder what you'd look like all grown up. You wonder what Snivy would look like all grown up. You can't imagine her as anything other than what she looks like now.

Snivy has kept you alive so far. Taught you foods to eat, places to avoid, how to fight, how to evade, how to be cunning and honestly, saved your life when you first met. You need to thank her properly. You have not a doubt in your mind now that this place, the Pokemon world, is real. The other side of the sky is far too real to not be. And Snivy is someone too. There's no way she's just a figment of your imagination. You know it. And she knows it. And I know it.

The sun creeps a bit lower, but it's still a few hours until sunset. You suppose you arrived in the early morning. From the sounds of things, Snivy was expecting to arrive at her destination by noon. Welp. You guess that's kind of your fault, too, so you'll have to apologize on top of that. It's hard, being a Pokemon.

Something bursts through the cave exit. It's Snivy. She's out of breath, but grinning. "I'm back. Ragged Mountain Eastern Entrance, here we are."

"What took you so long?"

"What? That was only a few minutes!"

"Yeah, I know. How'd you get here so fast?"

She strides up to you. "I don't know. Lucky I found the exit right there."

"Too modest," you sigh. "Well, you ready?"

"Yeah, we're almost there." She points down the eastern path. "Just a little bit more."

"You sure you aren't late?"

"I know I'm late. Let's go."


	6. Deciso

The sky is still light blue by the time you arrive.

It's hard to tell what kind of area this is. The path is a natural dark yellow, with coloured stones placed here and there. Dyed, no doubt. To further accentuate the imminent presence of civilization, a crossroads sits at the other side of the intersection, if it could be called that. Four winding yellow dirt roads.

The western road is the one you and Snivy have just emerged from. Small brown rocks line along the path, and fenced-off flowers and meadows abound.

The eastern road continues along the way you are walking. Small oak trees begin to sprout farther up, where the land turns to mountains and valleys. It is a grand sight, for sure. The clouds overhead serve only to make it an incredible landscape, the kind the human world could only dream of. If there's anything good about being here, it's the nature. Incidentally, you suppose that includes Snivy, too.

The northern road goes farther down. You can see and hear an interesting little area. But that's not where Snivy leads you to now.

She stops at the center of the crossroads, next to a small stone fountain. Amid the huffs and puffs coming from the both of you, she beams.

"We did it! We're finally here!"

"Somehow. So what's the meeting all about?"

"Right! We must hurry. I'm pretty sure the letter said it was this way."

"Over there?!" Following Snivy's line of sight, you look down the southern path. It's a barren field of badlands, all rust-washed, more dust than there is air. There are no colours other than blandly bright yellows and oranges. Rocks line up along the road, and even on it. The entire area is fenced off, and it goes without saying that there is not a sign of life to be seen. "Are you sure about this?"

"You can't chicken out now."

"Okay. You saved me, and I won't forget that." And you don't want to let her down, either.

She claps and gives a small cheer. "Thanks. You saved me too."

"What?"

"Come on."

After trekking for a while, you find it is not so much a wasteland as it is something of a savannah. Despite the empty lands, you can see small patches of bright green grass sprouting in the cracks of the dried earth. Short trees also find themselves no doubt where there are underground systems of water. You cough. This air, however, you were not wrong about. There's more than enough potential for a sandstorm. You narrow your eyes against the wind and watch Snivy. Her conviction is strong as ever. What kind of meeting is even happening out here? It involves something illegal, doesn't it? Great. What've you gotten yourself into?

"Water," Snivy says. "I can hear water." And indeed, you two do happen to see a stream off in the distance, and a wooden plank bridge just over it. And, beyond the bridge, a Pokemon. "I think that's it!"

With a thumping of feet, the two of you pick up speed and dash across to the other side. There's no time to worry about whether the bridge would hold like the last one. With a late flood of relief, you find it's probably sturdy enough to hold thirty-one elephants.

"Quagsire!" Snivy yells. The big bloated blue figure turns around. He clutches a piece of paper in his hands. He smiles. Snivy mirrors it, and you can't help but feel relieved too. "Thank goodness! You're still here."

"Yesssss, that is meeee..." Quagsire says. His voice is a low, slow drawl, each word drawn-out. He hums happily. "I manage the land around here..."

What in God's name is Snivy planning to do?

"So, is it you, then...? You're... let me think..."

"Snivy. My name is Snivy."

"Ah, yes, I thought so... thanks for coming all the way here..."

"Well, you do know what my goal is here."

"Of course... waiting here was worth it after all..."

"Sorry for keeping you here so long." Snivy bowed. You have no idea what to do, so you bow too.

Quagsire turns his passive gaze to you, then back to Snivy. "Your friend?"

Snivy gives you a glance. You don't know what it means. You shrug.

"Hmm, nevermind, then... so, are you really sure about this...?" Quagsire motions with a hand towards the vast expanse of near-desert. You didn't notice before, but from here, you can see mountains in the distance. Just how big is this?! And Quagsire manages land, right? Does he own all of this? Quagsire sighs. "It's really desolate, you know... and there's nothing here... at all..."

You look at Snivy, but her face gives away nothing.

"And worst of all... the Mystery Dungeons are really taking over in this area... you can't really count on anything going as expected... not in this kind of place..."

"I know." Snivy's voice is resolute. "That's what I am hoping for."

"Are you sure you won't regret this...?"

"I've made payments in advance, there is no going back for me."

Quagsire chuckles. "Yes, of course... I just wanted to see for myself just how strong your resolve is..." Quagsire's eyes light up, as if remembering something from his past. And then it is gone again. "Well then, here is your deed..."

The Pokemon steps forward and hands Snivy the paper. It is old, but not worn-out. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that not many would be interested in purchasing land like this. Wait. Why's Snivy buying this desert?!

"This land now belongs to you..." Quagsire hums happily. You're sure he's glad to have a few extra bucks, but he doesn't look the type to extort teenagers for money. "You can do what you'd like with it... I'll be looking forward to it..."

And with that, he gently pushes past the both of you, onto the bridge, and down the path back north.

You've never heard Snivy cheer that loudly before.

"So, what are you planning to do?" you ask.

"From this day forth, this will be my Paradise!" she says.

You've no idea what that's supposed to mean. "Are you moving here now?"

"Yes, but that's not all. You remember how I said I wanted to experience all kinds of things in this world? How I wanted to be an adventurer?"

"How does this tie in?"

"This is the starting point for making it all come true." Her eyes are shining brighter than the future she's hoping for. You still don't get it.

"My dream is to make a paradise for us all," she continues.

"A Pokemon Paradise?"

"Yes. I'm going to make this the kind of paradise you could only dream about. And besides..." Along with the hopeful, Snivy's eyes are holding a daring gleam now. "The Mystery Dungeons are spreading around here. You never know what might happen on land like this. There are a lot of Pokemon who hate that kind of uncertainty, but to me, it's just the birthplace of an adventure. I'm going to have all kinds of adventures and find others just like me. We're going to work hard together and make a life that'll really make you feel alive! You know what I mean, right?! A real paradise! That's my dream!"

"You're quite the fairy tale yourself," you say.

"It could happen, Ned, and it will! I'll make it happen. I've been saving up all of my own money for this, and now I have the perfect land for it. Well, I mean, everywhere else was too expensive, but still! This is the start of all my dreams."

"I'll be rooting for you," you say.

"But what about you?"

You hesitate. "My dream?"

"I suppose. What will you do now? You don't have anywhere else to go, do you?"

Snivy knows you don't. She takes a deep breath. What's happening? "So, listen, if you have nowhere else to go... would you, maybe, consider staying with me? Would you help me make my Paradise?"

You don't say anything, which evidently worries her.

"Look, there's no way I can do it all by myself, and I was planning to try and get others to help me anyways..." Snivy trails off. She looks at you hopefully. "What do you think? Will you stay?"

You look up, if only to not meet her gaze. This morning, you fell from your side of the sky into this one. You transformed into a Pokemon, and a voice pleaded with you to save the Pokemon world. You have no more clues about any of it. And now you've got nowhere to go and with sunset already nearing dusk, and you know not a soul but this Snivy who's done nothing but save your life so far. She wants nothing more than to bring others happiness and go on adventures. Maybe, just maybe, it'll lead you to what you were summoned here to do. It's ridiculous, and yet your choice is nothing but obvious.

"Do you really have such little faith in me?"

Snivy beams. "Thank you, Ned. We'll be a great team."

"We already are."

"Yes. And though this place is pretty empty right now, this is it." She looks out over the valley.

You nod, because there's no need for more words.


	7. Serenade

You can see the moon now. All full up there, in the night. It's dark. Very dark. You'd never realized what it was like not to have streetlights and TV screens to light up the night. And it's getting cold, too. Maybe you two should look for shelter for now. Deserts get awful chilly after twilight.

You walk a little further south, and the two of you come to a small clearing amid dead trees, rock formations, and weeds. At least the tall boulders provide some relief against the wind and cold.

"Night sure comes fast around here, but there's nothing here at all," Snivy mumbles. "I mean, of course not. But, well..."

"Do Pokemon at least live in shelters?"

"What? Of course! You think we're that uncivilized?" Snivy pouts. "In all honesty, yes, we do build homes. But just for tonight, I suppose we'll have to camp out."

"I've never done camping before."

"I've been doing it for a while now, so it should be fine, though I can't say I'm used to finding enough material for two Pokemon. Come on then, we need to find some grass and wood."

After a few minutes of collecting dead plants (there were plenty), the two of you installed yourselves back into the clearing. "Just lay out the grass in a little bed like this." "Make sure to take out any sharp parts." "Here, put the wood here." "The things around this clearing will reflect the campfire's heat back at us, so this is a good place to camp." "Alright, that's good for tonight."

You've now settled yourself on your bedding next to Snivy's. The campfire burns weakly, but there isn't much either of you can do. Neither of you speak, and the only sound is the quiet crackling of the fire, and the whistle of the wind in the sparse trees. You turn onto your back.

You'd never noticed just how clear the sky was here. Even amid the clouds, the stars burn brightly. Millions upon millions of them, all up there. There are so many, you sometimes forget about the infinite darkness beyond them. Stars. They're incredible, really. They're so bright out here, on the countryside. They're so bright out here, on the other side of the world. With no artificial lights around, these stars are brighter here than they are anywhere on the earth you once knew. The fact that you can navigate by only the moon and the stars is something no human has experienced for centuries. Millenia. If the stars up there lead into infinity, what about the stars in the other sky, beyond the sky?

You don't know. You don't understand any of it. But everything here and everything there are made of stars and of the sun(s) in the sk(ies). You are made of stardust, and so is Snivy. And so is this beautiful natural world you now find yourself in, and have been summoned to save.

"It's cold," Snivy mumbles, and you can see her breath wafting out along with your own. "I suppose we need to build a house before anything else." The fire seems to crackle in agreement.

"It'd be real funny if it started raining right about now," you say, voice softened by the night.

"Don't give the sky any more ideas."

"It's thanks to the sky I'm here right now."

Snivy rolls over to face you. Her shape is hard to make out in the dark. "Hey, Ned."

"Yeah?"

"Are we friends?"

You pause. "Do you think we are?"

"I want us to be."

"Then we're friends."

"Stop using what I said against me," she says.

"It's not against you, it's for you."

"Mean."

"Hey," you say. "Since we're friends, can I give you a nickname?"

"Is that what nicknames are for?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Since we're friends and all."

"How about Vee? For Sni-vee?"

She snorts. "Ned, what's your first name?"

"Edward."

"That sounds nothing like Ned."

"Yeah, it does!"

"No."

"Well, what's your point?"

"I want a nickname that sounds nothing like my name too. Besides, not like I have a first name."

"Okay. What, you trying to run from your past or something? A random name, huh..."

"A girl's name," she says.

"Well, yeah. Let's see... how about... Jennifer?"

"Shorter."

"Then, just Jen?"

"Does it mean something for humans?"

You hum to the sound of your brain working. "Yeah. I remember reading this somewhere before. It means 'white fairy'. And since you're someone straight out of a fairy tale and all..."

"That's good. You have a way with words."

"Thanks, but I don't speak like royalty like someone else here."

"Well, anyways," she continues. "I really like that name. You should call me Jen from now on. Yeah, I'll ask everyone else to call me that too."

"Really? It's a nickname I just gave you."

"Exactly."

"We just met today."

"So?"

"I mean..."

She sighs. "I don't exactly have a lot of friends."

You don't say anything.

"What about you?" she says. "What does your name mean?"

"Like, 'guardian' or 'protector' or something," you say. Aha, you knew spending three months on was a splendid idea!

"Fitting."

"You're more like the one protecting me."

She snorts. "Who said it was about me? You were brought here to protect this world."

"Do you really believe that?"

"If you exist, I see no reason not to."

You don't know how to reply to that.

Jen yawns. "Well, if this works out anything like it will, we'll have plenty of time to talk. I'm tired now, so... goodnight."


	8. Agitato

A shuffling sound.

You blink the sleep from your eyes and reach over to wake Snivy- no, wait, it's Jen now. She wakes up with a huge yawn, eyes still half-lidded from sleep.

"Good morning, sleepyheads... I came to see how you two were surviving..." Quagsire chuckles. "Did you sleep well...?"

You yawn. "Morning."

Jen waves at Quagsire dimly. "Good morning. And no, not exactly. It was a little chilly."

You huff. "Just a little."

"Turns out it's difficult to stay out of the wind when you've got no walls," Jen says.

"You two really are kids..." Quagsire smiles.

"We're thinking that we'd really like to build a house," Jen continues with a nod. "But we don't really know where to begin."

"Well..." says Quagsire. "If it's a house you're after... I think there should be a carpenter... or three... somewhere in Post Town..."

"Where's that?" you ask Jen. She shrugs.

"It's to the north of here..." Quagsire says. "You must've seen it on your way here...?"

"Oh," you say. "Right, there was a crossroads, and the northern road led to a bustling little village or something. Right."

"If you ask the carpenters, they should be able to build you a house..."

"Thank you, Quagsire!" Then, turning to you, "Come on, Ned, let's go find them."

"Alright... follow me..." Taking the lead, Quagsire turns back north, from the way he had come.

"Coming," you say. The fire had already been put out by the wind at some point during the night, but you have to do something about your bedding.

"It's fine, leave it. It's our land, after all, no one will mess with it."

"YOUR land."

"Our land," Jen says.

As the two of you follow Quagsire out of Paradise, you notice a small red box by the stream, adorned with flowers and patterns. "Was that there before?"

"Nope."

"What is it?" 

"We can come back and look at it later."

"Okay."

"Come along, now..." says the voice from up front, humming to himself. "And since you two are new around here, I'll give you a complimentary tour, hmm...?"

Jen smiles politely. "That would be much appreciated."

"Splendid..." Quagsire stops at the crossroads from where you had come the day before. "You've traveled along this route to arrive here,correct...?"

"Only on the western path," she says. You decide to let Jen do most of the talking from here on. She's a natural.

"Well, a lot of traveling Pokemon come along this highway here... and so... Post Town was built as a nice rest stop for everyone..."

"That is neat."

"Yes, this crossroad, you will become familiar with, I'm sure...; to the south is your property, to the west, your original home, to the east, lands to explore, and to the north is Post Town... now, let's go have a look, shall we...?"

As you and Jen follow in tow, the trees thin out along with the rocks, and the faded path winds through a pleasant meadow of grass and flowers. A large wooden structure arches over the entrance to the vilage, adorned by signs and tapestries. You imagine one of them must've read 'Post Town' once.

The inside of the village is just as lush as out, if not more. Numerous shops of creative shapes hold space all around. Pokemon vendors are seated all around, and other Pokemon wander around town, talking to each other.

You find your eyes darting all around. "It's really lively here."

"Yes, this town is quite famous for having the best water..." Well, that certainly explains the streams, fountains, and waterfalls. "Visiting Pokemon all drink their fill and wash away their fatigue..."

"I suppose that's why everyone tends to gather here." Jen nods.

"There are a lot of shops and things, too... as you've no doubt noticed..." Too many, in fact. You and Jen would have to fully explore this town later. Your eyes can't remember all this information you're seeing. "Do you see that over there...?"

You follow Quagsire's paw-hand-flipper and see an indigo box adorned with gold. It looks to be nothing more than a very fancy safe. "That..." says Quagsire. "Is a Deposit Box... you can deposit your items and money there, and then take them out later..."

"How do we know others won't steal anything?" Jen says.

"Everyone who opens it has different things inside... it's a mysterious box of separate... realities..."

You nod, kind of understanding. Sort of. "So, depending on who opens it, it only has their items, right? No one can access others' items? Everyone has their own 'account'?"

"Correct..."

Jen sighs. "Well, then."

"Let us not make a fuss of things... now then, that is the general store..." Beyond the Deposit Box, sitting behind a box of crates, is a wooden building, shaped like a hut. The roof is green and yellow, with a sign you can't read hanging off the front. You notice that the roof pattern looks an awful lot like that of the shop owner's face, who happens to be talking to a blue duck-like Pokemon. "You can buy all sorts of things there..."

"Ah, wait, please, wait a moment," Jen says. "We do not have enough time to spare to visit each facility individually. This is indeed a town, correct?"

"You are correct... Snivy..."

"Oh, and that, too. Please call me Jen from now on. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Quagsire blinks, as passively as always. "Any specific reason for the change...?"

"Yes. I suppose I'd like to start anew."

"Always a good reason..." Quagsire nods. "Alright... Jen and..."

You smile. "Ned."

"Ned... I'll be wrapping this up, so... I suppose there's also the inn and its restaurant... and all kinds of other places... feel free to use any of the shops you'd like..."

"Quagsire, you say that like you own this land, too," Jen says.

"Do you?" you say.

A screech cuts you off. "What are you doing?!"

In the plaza of white and blue and yellow tiles, a small crowd of Pokemon have gathered to watch the commotion. A talking rock looks to be fighting with the blue duck you saw talking with the general store's shopkeeper earlier.

"You just hit me on purpose, didn't you?" cries the rock. "That hurt, you oaf!"

"All I did was brush you with my beak! What's the big deal?! Don't go throwing a fit over every little bump!"

The rock lets out an indignant huff and turns away. The duck does the same, and waddles off. The crowd of Pokemon stares in shock.

"Who were they?" you whisper to Jen. "They seemed a bit touchy."

"The duck was Ducklett, the stone was Roggenrola. It was strange, huh?"

"What do you mean?" you say.

Jen simply shakes her head slowly. "None of the other Pokemon even tried to step in. None."

Quagsire hums in agreement. "Everyone's a bit on edge these days... the strife between Pokemon just keeps growing worse..."

"That's news to me," Jen says. "Please elaborate."

"Been away for a long time...? Well... from what I hear, it seems everyone's nerves are a bit strained..."

"Is this because of...?" Jen trails off.

"Yes, some Pokemon think it's the spread of the Mystery Dungeons, but... who can say for sure...?"

Jen looks around. "Well, from what we just witnessed, you're right about the relationships between Pokemon being more sour these days."

"It feels as if more and more Pokemon are only looking out for themselves..." Quagsire's perpetual smile drops a little. "There's just no trust between Pokemon anymore..."

"Is that how it is now? I wish everyone would be friendlier, but that's easier said than done."

"The world does seem a bit dark these days..." Dark? Really? To you, this seemed more like the essence of happiness, but with a crack of discontent showing through. Just what kind of world was this? Jen didn't need to build a paradise, this entire world was already paradise.

"Well... never mind all that... you two needed a carpenter, right...?"

"Oh, yes."

"I'll go have a look around... while I do that, you two can check out the town... how does that sound...?"

"Sounds good. Thank you, Quagsire."

You dip your head. "Thanks."

Smile plastered back on, Quagsire turns around and waddles off into town. Before you know it, he's slipped into a building and out of sight.

Jen stretches. "Alright, let's take a look around."

"Okay."


	9. Misterioso

With renewed vigor, you take in the village once again.

One word: water. There is water everywhere. Quagsire was not lying when he said the town was famed for its water. In fact, the village seeems to be built in a miniature delta. After exploring it in its entirety, you and Jen have stopped at the entrance to discuss it.

"Three levels! Whoever heard of a three-story town?" you say.

"Well, there isn't much other than the perpetually flowing well on the highest level, and a great sightseeing spot."

"Oh, you're right. I took a look from up there, and the view is dazzling. Lakes and forests and mountains! Wow, this world's nature is incredible!"

She narrows her eyes. "Hey, don't say that too loudly."

"No one knows the context."

"Don't let them."

You cross your little arms. You're still not completely used to it. "Well, whatever. Anyways, they should really put safety fences up there. What if someone falls?"

"Do humans do that?"

"Do what?"

"Have to be restrained to be safe?"

You shrug. "Well, it's mostly for children, elders, and daring teenagers."

"So that includes you?"

"What? No!"

"Whatever you say. Humans are weird."

"Look who's talking too loudly now," you say.

"What were we even talking about?"

A groan escapes you. "Okay, so the second floor. Did you find anything on the second floor?"

"We both know there's nothing of interest there."

"Hey, that water-purifying windmill is absolutely of interest! Some humans need that to survive!"

"Do you not have them?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

"What happens to the humans?"

"They die? I don't know."

Jen claps her hands. "Oh, yeah, and there was the second floor of the inn, right? But you can't enter from the windows, so there isn't much point."

"Right, right! And the waterfall stream actually flows underneath the inn, which is super cool. I saw some Pokemon doing flips off the bridge and into the springs."

"Oh, on the first floor? I didn't get to see it," she says.

"Yeah, it was just east of the plaza, I think. The main waterfall flows into it. The bridge on the second floor casts this shadow onto it, so it looks super mysterious."

"Really?"

"No, but it looks nice. Some of the townsfolk told me that nearly everyone takes their baths and showers there. Since the water flows from the infinite well on the third floor, all the water's always fresh. The old water flows out from under the bridge on the first floor and out into the river."

"But that would imply that water is constantly being supplied to this world, and that would've surely already resulted in a flood," Jen says, tilting her head.

"See, that's the thing! They say that a legendary Pokemon sucks up all the water, purifies it, and brings it back to infinite wells all over the world!"

"That's quite interesting. All of the water that comes out is eventually going to go back in."

"Also, did you get to check out all the shops on the first floor?" you say.

"Yes, except for the inn, which I wanted to go with you to see. It is the staple of Post Town, after all."

"Hey, I was thinking the same here. Which one's your favourite facility so far?"

"What were they again?"

"Uh, there was that coffin Pokemon with the scary face and four black arms. He loved gold or something."

"Cofagrigus?"

"Yeah, and also, the general store, and the literal gift shop, and the box-opener," you say.

"Right, with the shopkeepers Kecleon, Cinccino, and Rampardos."

"Spare me the names!"

"You'll have to learn them eventually."

"Oh, honestly."

"Well, enough dawdling, we should head to the inn," says Jen as she takes the lead.

Quagsire's already close by the entrance by the time you two get there. "You two... good timing..."

"We were just on our way to go look inside the inn."

"Well, actually, those two Timburr over there are the carpenter's apprentices..." He points a flipper in the direction of twin Pokemon, each carrying an identical wooden plank. Do all Pokemon of the same species look the same? It could be confusing if you managed to find another Axew, or Snivy, or Quagsire. "You would do well to ask them about your house, right, lads...?"

The two Timburr take notice of Quagsire as he approaches them, and they turn to face the three of you. You notice that the only thing different about them is a vague distortion of facial features and body shape, but not much else. This could be hard. They look at you and Jen the same way, an analytical gaze in their eyes. Neither speaks.

"Where is your master...?"

The pair give each other a puzzled look before turning to Quagsire. The stocky one speaks, and his voice is a thin, reedy sound. "Our master? Oh, you mean the boss?"

The lanky Timburr, on the other hand, speaks like a bass drum. "If you're looking for the boss, he's inside."

"Your boss is the carpenter, correct?" asked Jen. Taking charge. "We want to build a house. Could you take us to meet your boss?"

The Timburr give each other another glance, a different one. They nod. The stocky one speaks. "We certainly can."

"Come on," urges the lanky one, already starting to push you and Jen inside. He's surprisingly strong. "Don't dawdle or nothing."

Quagsire waves at you from behind. "Looks good... good luck with the carpenter...I'll be waiting..."

"Thanks!" you call as he bumbles away.

"Thank you, Quagsire!"

You nearly trip on your feet as your four begin to descend the stairs. Once at the bottom, you find yourself in a well-lit room, ground patterned with an imprint and otherwise covered in fancy tapestries. Tables line the far wall, along with a counter stocked with food. A houseplant greets you at the entrance. The room gives you an overall impression of clean-cut, yet nostalgic inns. The wood is polished, but faded. It is quaint, but fancy. You feel at ease.

Once finished dusting herself off, Jen asks, "So, where is your boss?"

"Is that him?" you ask, pointing towards the counter. A large white swan sits behind it, talking to Ducklett. You regret opening your mouth immediately.

"Huh? What are you talking about?! That's ain't the boss! In what world does that look like a carpenter?!"

"Sorry." Jeez.

"That over there's Swanna," the Timburr continues. "She owns this place. She's in charge." Oh, god, it was the innkeep, and a lady, too! Your true form is going to be revealed at this rate!

The other Timburr raises his hand. "You'll see our boss just over there." He motions towards a large, humanoid Pokemon with a clown nose, carrying a metal beam. He must be at least twice as tall as both you and Jen. Yeah, that's a carpenter all right. He sits at a table with a bowl of water and a plate of untouched apples.

Seeing the look on your faces, the stocky Timburr grins. "THAT's our boss. Gurdurr." And, as if acknowledging your presence, Gurdurr begins

to roar.

"What's up with that?" you whisper to Jen amid the sound storm.

"My goodness," she says, but nothing more.

Once over, the lanky Timburr turns back towards you two, and as quietly as possible, warns, "Listen up, the boss has a bit of a vicious temper, so mind your manners." All four of you gulp, and take the plunge. Gurdurr begins

to roar

again.

"What?" he adds, just for the sake of having a word in there somewhere.

The two Timburr let out a squeak and jolt backwards. You can't help but feel that this isn't exactly a model example of how apprenticeships should go.

"What do you two want?" Gurdurr outright growls.

Nervously, "Hey, Boss. See, these folks here-"

Gurdurr cuts him off, a smile spreading across his face. "Hey? What's this? You got some kinda job for me?"

Jen steps forward warily. "Yes, we want to build a house, and we need a carpenter. We had gotten wind you were one, so that's why we're here."

Gurdurr says nothing. He stares at Jen menacingly, smile quickly dropping.

And then, that's the first time you hear Jen stutter. "We would of c-course be paying you for your services."

Gurdurr still says nothing. He's not scowling, but certainly not happy. You decide to step in.

"P-Please, we really need a place to live, and we would really appreciate your help."

No one dares move.

"So, uh..." One of the apprentices clears his throat. "What do you think, B-Boss?

Nothing.

The other Timburr twiddles his thumbs nervously. "Uh, B-Boss?"

Gurdurr screeches, and slams his metal pole into the floor. You're honestly afraid it'll tear a hole in the wood. The apples on the plate fall onto the floor, and the water spills onto the table. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Swanna and some townsfolk watching anxiously, but no one dares say anything. You feel a wave of shame wash over you that is quickly replaced by fear.

Gurdurr stares at the two of you in the eyes. His expression gives away nothing. "All right. I'll do it."

"Really?" asks Jen, still unsure after seeing the outbursts.

"Yeah, really." Gurdurr's voice is calm, but his face is guarded. "I'm a carpenter, ain't I? We craftsmen stick to our word."

"Thank you," she says, but you've no doubt Jen's kind of regretting all this now too. But, now that you've persuaded him to help, there's no way to tell Gurdurr to back off. She turns towards you, the unsettled feeling clear in her eyes. You shrug. There's nothing either of you can do about it now.

"So," you say, clearing your throat. "We're going to need money to build a house, right? We can-"

Jen taps you on the shoulder. "We don't have any."

Seeing the expression on the carpenter's face, you think fast. "YET. But we'll work hard to save some up! Right?"

Jen narrows her eyes, which are still fixed on Gurdurr. "Yes."

"Nah," Gurdurr says, after a moment. "Don't need any money. I want you to bring me something else instead."

Jen hesitates. "If it's within our power."

"Well, there's this place nearby called Stony Cave. Just up the eastern highway from the crossroads outside of town. Go all the way to the deepest part and get me some of the gems there."

You glance over at Jen, who returns it, just as puzzled. He may be looking to sell them, but why such a roundabout way of getting money?

"Yeah, that's it," Gurdurr says. "They're blue stones, got it? We're gonna need materials to build you that house."

"Are you implying you will be building the house out of gems?" Jen says. "That is ridiculous."

"No," he snaps. "I'll need those blue gems to swap for building supplies at the lumberyard. You'll spot the gems if you go far enough into Stony Cave."

Jen dips her head. "I see."

"Uh, lemme see..." Timburr and Timburr gather around him and talk in hushed voices. You frown, unsure of how to proceed. "Yeah," says Gurdurr. "About five little ones should do it, I'd say. If you go and get me some gems, I can trade them for whatever you need. Then we can build you your little house." His voice lilts unpleasantly at the last sentence.

"Alright," Jen says slowly. "We just need to get you five gems, right?"

"Yeah."

"We should be leaving, then. Thank you, Gurdur, Timburr." Taking your arm, she leads you back up the stairs, though you felt less than resistance to the idea.

Something was weird here, and it wasn't you.


	10. Andantino

Emerging into natural light, you're greeted once again by a lazy drawl.

"How did it go...?"

Jen frowns. "Things should be looking up, since the carpenter accepted our offer and all. But, I don't know."

"What's wrong...?"

"I'm not sure just yet, so I don't want to theorize. But, see, he asked us to go to Stony Cave and get him these gems he wants. He says that he'll trade them for materials at the lumberyard and build us a house."

"Well... it sounds peachy to me..."

Jen sighs. "I guess."

"You know how to get to Stony Cave...?" Quagsire says.

"Yes, just off to the eastern highway, correct?"

"Indeed..."

A new voice appears from behind. It's the stocky Timburr, an anxious look in his eyes. His buddy has the same expression. "Um, hey."

"What is it?" asks Jen, obviously still doubtful.

Neither of the Timburr speak. They don't exchange meaningful glances or employ body language. Neither moves a muscle, just stares into your eyes, pleading.

"Was there something you needed to tell us?" Eyes narrowed, suspicion growing. You'd be scared to face Jen like this too.

"No. It's nothing."

You bite back a retort of 'lies, obviously lies!' and watch.

"Yeah, forget it," mumbles the lanky Timburr. "Just go on and get those gems already."

"Alright." Curt, minimal. A reply with just enough substance to count as one. "Come on, Ned, we should get going."

"Okay." Giving the Timburr one last glance, you follow her out of the town, past the gate, and to the crossroads. You don't know what to think. It's obvious to anyone with half a mind that they're up to something, but whether it's good or bad, you can't tell. The Timburr seem to be remorseful, almost, and Gurdurr... well, who knows? You'll just have to assume if they're up to something, it's something bad, like you always have to when out in the wilds.

"Just down this road now..." Quagsire pauses for longer than usual. "There's only one thing to remember... I'm sure you already know, but... Stony Cave is a Mystery Dungeon..."

Okay, if you're knowingly walking straight into a trap, you want to at least know what that means. So, you ask.

"Oh, I suppose I forgot to tell you," Jen says. "Mystery Dungeons are, well, mysteries. Mysterious things are always happening in Mystery Dungeons. For example, every time you go into one, the layout changes. Sometimes, an underground passage will lead to someplace you'd never expect. But there are sure to be adventures there."

"That's why you bought land here?"

"Well, mostly, yes," she says.

"Sure sounds fun when you put it like that..." Quagsire sighs. "Sometimes, you can find rare treasures, and then eveything's coming up roses..." He sighs, again. "And then, out of nowhere, you get viciously attacked by wild Pokemon... they're very dangerous, so be careful..."

You groan. "We're risking our lives to build this house?"

"There's no other way around it, Gurdurr and his apprentices are the only carpenters around, I think." Jen looks to Quagsire.

"Indeed..." Quagsire says, but his tiny black pinpricks of eyes are darting back and forth between the two of you.

"Jen, you know what we're walking into, right?" you mutter.

A resolute huff. "Sure do. Might as well make the most of it."

"Yes, you might as well try your best..."

You facepalm. "Honestly, you two. You're supposed to be wise! You do fully understand the danger that we're about to face, right?! For a house? And Quagsire, we could never be coming back! Aren't you at least a little bit concerned? Even about the land Jen bought? Won't there be legal troubles concerning it if she kicks the bucket?!"

Quagsire hums, and you start to feel apprehensive of him, too. "Nope, never bothered to be concerned about anything in my life..." He chuckles. "Why start now...? And besides..."

"What?" you say.

Quagsire closes his eyes pensively. "I somehow get the feeling that you two can make it through anything together, even if it's based on absolutely nothing at all..."

You don't know what to say to that.

Jen claps her hands together resolutely. "Alright, then, I guess we'll heading out soon. Quagsire, are you coming?"

He shakes his head. "Go ahead, kids..."

"Alright, then, Ned. First, however, we should make sure we know what we're doing."

"Okay."

"Gurdurr wants us to go all the way into Stony Cave and get five blue gems."

"Right."

"To do that, we need to go through Stony Cave, a Mystery Dungeon."

"Yeah."

"So, we should prepare ourselves first."

"Okay."

"Lead the way."

"Wait, me?!"

She nods. "Aboslutely- variety is the essence of the soul! Change it up a little."

You sigh. "Fine, whatever, leader."

"Just go."

"Yeah, yeah. So, do we have anything we need to wrap up? Oh, what about that thing in Paradise?"

"The red mailbox?"

"Let's go take a look!"

"Okay. Go ahead." She grins as she waits for you to start walking. This isn't fair! She's taken charge this whole way, speaking enough for two, and now she makes you leader by abusing her own leader powers! Left with one option, you follow Her Majesty's orders and head back to Paradise.

Once there, you see something sticking out of the mailbox. You got mail? "Was this here before?"

"I don't recall," Jen says, narrowing her eyes. She takes it out carefully. It's a letter with no return address nor addressee. It must've been put here by hand. Or paw. Or whatever. Who could've been here in the short time you were gone?

"Can I read it?" you say.

\- Notice -

Welcome to the Passerby Post!

The Passerby Post can be used to help others when they faint in a dungeon!

Many Pokemon are out there even now, adventuring in the dungeons of this world.

But some adventurers faint before finishing their journey through a dungeon...

But when that happens-!

If you have put a Reviver Seed in the Passerby Post...

You may save someone who fainted with StreetPass!

If you do manage to save someone, your good deed will be rewarded!

Life is all about give-and-take!

So how about placing a Reviver Seed in your Passerby Post?

\- End of Message -

You try and decipher what the point of this letter is. An ad campaign? For what?

"Probably rubbish," Jen affirms. "Toss it."

"Where?" Before you can ask any further, she takes it out of your hands with a nimble vine and throws it into the stream. It floats away before you can snatch it back up.

"Honestly?" you say, but Jen's already started looking further in the mailbox. You waddle over. "See anything?"

Her vines are inside, reaching for something. "Got it! Look!" They snake back into her body and she holds a little golden seed in her hands. "A Reviver Seed!"

"What's that?"

"If you faint in a Mystery Dungeon, it'll revive you instantly!" She sure looks exuberant about this.

"Like smelling salts?"

"Something like that. You don't even have to do anything, if you just keep it with you, it'll activate automatically. It's only one-use though, so we need to safeguard this one preciously."

"Do we have a bag?"

"No. I'll keep it with me. I can fight with just vines, anyways," Jen says, not without a hint of pride.

You stare at the new addition to inventory. You're not dubious about its potential, but, "Such a dinky little thing?"

"It saves lives, you know! If we both faint out there, it's over for us!"

You huff. "Yeah, yeah. Let's go."

Jen hesitates.

"What?" you say.

"What exactly do you think that Gurdurr and his apprentices are up to?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to walk right into their trap."

"Hopefully we'll be strong enough," Jen says quietly.

"You think it'll come to that?"

"It's entirely possible," Jen says, and it's nothing either of you want to admit. "You heard what Quagsire said. The tensions between Pokemon are growing."

"I don't know about Quagsire anymore. What he says isn't false, but there's something off about him. He shows no concern for our lives. Why did he come visit us this morning? Where does he live? Who is he? How old is he? What is his goal by helping us?"

Jen looks down at the ground. "I actually don't know, Ned, I really don't. But you remember what he said, right? 'I somehow get the feeling that you two can make it through anything together. Even if it's based on absolutely nothing at all.' No matter what happens, we need to stick by each other."

"Meeting you here first was no coincidence, was it?"

"Maybe. We don't have answers, but we have means to attain them. And we need to start off slow."

You take a deep breath. "Baby steps."

"Let's go."


	11. Ritenuto

"North-east of Post Town, huge white cliffs. You can't miss it."

You don't. The map is spot-on.

"Well, Stony Cave. It looks like it leads underground. You ready to dive back in?" You nod back at Jen. She nods back at you nodding back. "Alright, then, let's go. B1F."

You find yourself once again in a Mystery Dungeon, surrounded by an endless sense of wonder and danger. You decide, from that moment on, there is nothing better than being an adventurer. The cold rock under your feet makes you shiver, but there is nowhere else to stand. The uneven terrain of cobble makes it hard to run, so the both of you opt to tread carefully. Sparse mint-green plants grow out the cracks in the stone walls. The light filters in from larger spaces in between boulders. And it's so much colder than Ragged Mountain was, almost as cold as last night. You wonder how cold this cave must be at midnight, if it's this bad at midday.

The quiet patter of feet is interrupted by Jen's quiet, "Hey, look!"

You scamper over and see, in her hands, a light blue sphere, almost like a gem. "Is that the blue gem he wanted?"

"No, silly," she murmurs. "It's an Escape Orb. If we smash it, it'll activate, and bring us back to the place we last slept. We can use these if we're close to being defeated."

"It's like an alternative to Reviver Seeds, right?"

She ponders. "Somewhat, but you have to leave the dungeon. That, and you have to be concious to use it."

"Do you think we'll be knocked out anytime soon?"

"It's possible."

You look around nervously at her words.

"So, who's going to hold it?" Jen says. "I can hold this, and you can have the Reviver Seed, since you need at least a hand free to attack."

"Wait, someone's here." The two of you quickly exchange items, and you clutch the Reviver Seed in your left hand like the potential saviour it is.

Two floating gears hover from around the corner. It spots you and Jen and comes charging forward. "Go!" Jen tells you repeatedly. But you just keep dodging back.

"That's a Pokemon?!"

"Yes! Klink! Now if you don't finish it, I will!" True to her word, Jen lunges forward.

"What are you doing?! Just use Vine Whip from back there!" you tell her.

"Grass-Type attacks aren't effective against this Steel-type! Neither are Normal-type attacks. Our best bet, when fighting Steel-types, is to use Pursuit and Assurance, which are Dark-Type moves."

"Those are super effective?" You can't believe you're getting schooled in the middle of battle.

"No, they just hit like normal, but they're better than nothing. So how about it? A Klink combo?"

"Pursuit, then Assurance? Sounds good to me."

"Alright! Klink combo wombo!"

Later, after felling yet another large number of Pokemon, you and Jen find yourselves breathing heavily in a long, narrow corridor. This can't possibly be the best ventilation. It's gotten really hot in here, or maybe it's just you. You've always been told not to go anywhere cold while sweating, or you'll catch a cold. Too late now, Mom.

"Gothita, behind us," Jen, still holding the Escape Orb in hand, sends out vines to attack. However, she is getting tired too. Just a bit too slow, Gothita sends out a psychic beam before the Vine Whip hits. Jen's head flies back, nearly dropping the Escape Orb.

"Be careful! Are you alright?" you say. Jen doesn't respond. She seems to be in a daze.

Out of nowhere, she turns her vines towards you instead.

"What? Have an- hey, ow!" She smacks you in the back of the head, hard. You don't see stars, you see black spots. "What's that for? That hurt- hey! Stop that!"

She looks to be in a daze or something, eyes half-lidded. What did Gothita do to her? Hypnotize her? Gothita was currently still tackling Jen was all the strength in its tiny little body. And- ow! Jen, my god!- Gothita brought some friends, too!

"Jen! Stop!" There's no way. You're gonna pass out. It wouldn't be dangerous so much as painful, but god, she's hitting the back of your head as hard as she can...

She collapses before you do. Gothita and her horde of Gothita all stand around Jen, who's passed out on the floor. The Escape Orb is still firmly in her grip. You consider wrestling it out of her arms and smashing it, because you weren't far from sharing the same fate. You walked right into Gurdurr's trap! But, before you can reach for it, your left hand begins to burn. What's happening? What did- no, wait! The Reviver Seed! You were clutching onto it for dear life, and now here you are, using it, for dear life. You let go, and it weaves a golden arc around you, then Jen, and then a bright light and... my god! She's back, just like that!

You can hear the seed crunching in her mouth. "Just a Plain Seed now, huh?"

"What?"

"Come on then, since I'm back, let's give them a taste of our power." You barely have time to be glad you're both alright before the Gothita are all knocked out.

Once your lives are secured, you let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, that was weird. What?"

"Well, Gothita inflicted the Confusion status on me, so I became confused. To be honest, not so much confused as hypnotized. So, I started inflicting damage on you while Gothita and co. tried to end me. Efficiency and all. And the Reviver Seed, like I said, would revive any fallen teammate, but once used, it turns into a Plain Seed that doesn't have any special power, so I ate it. And now here we are. Hey, look, they dropped some dough!" Jen skips towards the pile of Gothita on the ground, and picked up a few coins."Want to hold them?"

"Yeah, sure," you mumble. That was quite the ramble she'd had going on there. And, still, way too much to absorb about fighting and exploring. "Why can you find money and items just lying around in Mystery Dungeons anyways?"

"Well, it's still home to Pokemon, no matter how messed up. And really, they're Mystery Dungeons. Even the things you can find around here changes. They say there's a forest made entirely of money."

"Wait, wait... how do you not be confused? Can you heal it?" You find yourself quite confused at the moment as well.

"Some berries, like Persim berries, can heal it. Some items do too. If you faint, like I did, it'll be cured. And it also goes away over time, like your health gets restored. See? You're feeling much better now than you were right after I attacked you. But sheesh, do we really have to have a FAQ session in a Mystery Dungeon? "

"You're right, but I'd rather know sooner than later," you say. "Come on, we're only on the first floor of this cave, and the blue gems are supposed to be at the very bottom. We're never going to make it."

"Don't say that. At the very least, this experience will make us stronger. Let's go, there are a set of stone stairs leading down."

You frown. "Wait, what? Is this place artifically fabricated?"

"Maybe. But this particular feature is by no means natural."

You both go down the steps carefully. A few pieces of loose gravel crumble underneath your combined weight. The coins in your hands make no sound as you grip them tightly.

"What's that?" There's a shining panel on the ground. It has a large green arrow on it. "That's not natural. At all."

"Wow, I've never seen one before." Jen jumps down and stares at it. Its luminous glow reminds you of that of the Escape Orb she holds. "It's a Wonder Tile. If your attack, defense, or speed has been lowered or raised, stepping on this will return it to normal. Of course, it goes for enemies too."

"Do we really need something like that?" You waddle over to the large patch of dark green grass, which has somehow managed to thrive down here.

"We certainly don't need it, but it's there. Oh, watch out for traps, too."

You stop fidgeting. "Traps?"

"Yes, they have different effects, but you probably want to stay away from all of them. You can't see them, either, not without special items we don't have."

You groan. "Mystery Dungeons just get worse and worse."

Jen doesn't reply. "Stony Cave B2F is awful quiet."

Quiet, maybe, but not empty. Out of the shadows, a larger shape emerges. You cry, "Duck!"

Just in time, Jen bends down, and the claws brush just over her. The shape swoops upwards and stays afloat, debating how to proceed from there. "That's not a duck! It's a bird!" Jen tells you.

"Not what I meant!" you say. "What's it called?"

"Braviary!" The massive bird is over twice your size, even taller than Gurdurr. Its talons and beak seem to glint even in the weak underground lighting. Now, how exactly were you going to get out of this one?

"Whatever! Run!" Jen yelps, and dashes past it, down the narrow corridor. "Here!" You both slide into an even smaller space, barely more than a crack in the wall. Braviary is too big to fit here.

"Good thinking," you say. "We-ow! Something just shocked me!"

"Static electricity?"

"No, it's-"

"Hold still, that's a Joltik!" With a crunch, Jen brings down a vine near your forearm. You spot it just in time to see a little yellow bug skittering off.

"We just can't catch a break," you say.

"Ned, look. Another orb, in that room."

"Can we really carry another?"

"I can. I'm more adept with vines than hands. Here, let me go have a little look-see." You follow her out into the expanse of rock.

"What is it?" you say.

She holds it up like a trophy. "A Rollcall Orb. If you smash it, your teammate or teammates will teleport back to you."

"When would we need that?"

"Some traps warp you elsewhere, as well as attacks, or complications. Anything can happen in these dungeons, so really, always assume something bad is a possibility. But don't assume nothing good can come of it."

"Let me tell you some good things to come: look, stairs!"

"Do you think B3F will be Stony Cave's final floor?" Jen says, hopeful.

"Maybe." You take a look around. "Nevermind. Not a single blue gem to be seen."

"They may be further in."

"Hey, more money!" You scamper over and pick up a few more coins.

"Don't get too greedy, now," says Jen, and takes the lead again. "But look at all these Wonder Tiles. Maybe it was just by chance we didn't see any in Ragged Mountain. They feel like part of Mystery Dungeons, like just another randomly generated feature."

"Randomly generated, alright. Look how close the stairs were this time!"

"Theoretically, it may be possible to traverse an entire dungeon without facing a single enemy."

You shrug. "Theoretically. Come on, let's go, since they're there."

"Do you think Stony Cave B4F is our final destination?"

"Must you really say that every time? Can't you just say 'this floor'?"

Jen stands up straight, puffs her chest out. "Aboslutely not! Formalities suit Mystery Dungeons."

"How?"

"All of them have official titles, and I must say them out loud every time."

"Picky." You follow Jen's weaving path around the floor. "Maybe it's karma, since we nearly got wiped out on the very first floor."

"You believe in that?"

"I don't know. No. Maybe."

Jen looks at you, but doesn't reply. You don't either, and drop it.

"Think Stony Cave B5F will be our lucky star?" You look up to see Jen has already led the two of you to the stairs.

"Don't jinx it."

"The Pokemon?" Jen says. "Anyway, we'll find the end eventually, so me saying it changes nothing but your expectations." And, with a large stride, two orbs in hand, Jen steps down deeper into the cave. You clutch your money and follow.

Jen whips around to face you, eyes blazing. She thrusts out a vine and points at your hand. "Ned! The coins!"

"What about them?" Panicked, you open your hand. They're all there, still. You count and recount 7 times.

"My bet... was RIGHT ON THE MONEY!" She grins and turns around. "Look!"

You jump down from the last step, and see something shining at the end of the corridor. It's blue and indigo. This could only be one thing. You run towards it, Jen hot on your heels, still winded from the beauty of her own joke.

The corridor opens into a small room, the final room, with grass and flowers amid the rocks. A small pond shines a vivid blue, reflecting the hue of the massive crystals in the wall. The biggest one is three times as big as you are. How does the sunlight even reach this far down, much less illuminate them so brightly? They must be all kinds of special!

"Awesome, we found them!" You high-five one of Jen's vines. "But..."

"Yeah," she murmurs, also remembering how strange the request had been. "I don't know. How will the trap activate?"

You think back to Indiana Jones and his contemporaries, personally the only explorers you've cared about at all up until yesterday. "If we pick them up, will we be ambushed? Get that Escape Orb ready."

"You're going to have the honours, huh? Go ahead." With that, Jen positions the Escape Orb high above her head.

"Alright." You walk forward. One step. Two.

The gem is right there, a brilliant blue.

You pick one up. Nothing happens.

"Hurry, it may be delayed!" Jen says.

You pick up four more. Nothing happens. You back away slowly.

Wait.

You say, "Wait, even if this isn't a trap, how do we go back? Up the stairs?"

Jen gulps, as if at a sudden realization. "No, they disappear once you've gone down. Usually, adventurers would have a special badge that teleports them back to their home base, but we're just two kids trying to build a house. Maybe I should've thought of that before we came in, we're lucky we have this Escape Orb."

"Wait, what?"

"Yep," she laughs nervously. And, with a force strong enough to create wind, Jen smashes the Escape Orb on the stones.


	12. Chapter 11

You narrow your eyes coming out of the backroom. The air is less musty out here, and the air itself brighter.

You yawn. "So, does every adventurer just have to buy Escape Orbs everytime they go out? How do they produce them in such mass?"

"Well, usually explorers have licenses."

"Are we not of age?"

"Well, no, but that's not the problem," Jen says. "Anyways, come on, we need to hurry. Do you want to gather some more information, or should we set off?"

"Better safe than sorry. I'd rather spend a bit more time asking around than going straight in and risk our lives again."

"Well, that was my fault, so I'll let you make the choice." With that, you two set off at a brisk pace, dashing from Pokemon group to huddled Pokemon group. Big packs or lone wolves, none too hostile nor too warm. You repeated the question so many times you weren't sure you were speaking words anymore, but none of the advice you received was of much use.

"How about the third floor again?" you suggest.

"What would we gain from climbing up there again? The last time we went, Mienfoo talked about how clear the air was up there, and talked about her traveling journey as a martial artist."

"That wasn't all!"

"Well, Sandile introduced himself as well, the little gangster."

"Yeah, you're right, there wasn't much up there... then the inn?"

"Swanna doesn't want us to call her maybe."

"Then-"

"Come on, Ned, this is no time to be saying hello to everyone in town. We need to get moving before the sun sets!"

You sigh. "Yeah, I know, okay? I just... don't want to go."

"You'd rather freeze again?"

"No, but it's really not worth it!"

"Maybe so, but I just want a roof over my head again. Come on, we'll have to do it eventually!"

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!" The dirt on your heels is building as Jen drags you out of town by the tusks. "Wait, stop!"

"No."

"Look."

She stops. You pick yourself up and wipe off the grime. "What is that?" she murmurs. A jittery Pokemon looks around. You can almost hear its teeth chattering. You're about to step forward, ask what it's doing, when it pulls up its skin flaps further and runs off, leaving nothing behind.

Jen smiles, like she's figured it out. "Don't they look familiar?"

"Wait, that's it!"

"What?"

"From the time we left the dungeon and the time we entered the inn, what did we do?"

"Walk."

"Yes, but what else? Involving that Pokemon?"

"Well, they bumped into you."

"More like ran into on purpose, but yeah. So, he might have seen them or something."

"You want to go after them?"

"Why do you say 'them'? It's only one Pokemon."

"It's gender-neutral, I thought it'd be easier for you if you don't know what to call a certain Pokemon."

"Huh. Yeah, sure. So are we going after them?"

Jen starts to speak, but is cut off by a quivering voice, one you've both heard before. You turn around and see the owners, eyes low to the ground. "Wait... please wait right there!"

"Timburr and Timburr, we've no time to talk," Jen says, not even turning to face them. "We're in a hurry. For your boss."

The lanky one folds in on himself, the low pitch of his voice shaking. "We know... You're going after Scraggy, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Jen says, and, to you, "The one who just left."

"Yeah. We can tell you where he's going."

Jen narrows her eyes and hesitates before turning around. She plays with the tag of the bag slung across her shoulder, eyes fixed on the Timburr. "Alright."

"He's headed for Hazy Pass."

"Yeah," adds the other Timburr half-heartedly. "So you little punks had better go after him. Take back what was stolen from you."

"What a surprise." Jen shows a slight grin, but it displayed everything but happiness. You shudder a little. "So you guys thought the same?"

"No, we know the same!" Timburr yelled defensively.

"Tell me more."

The Timburr that had just spoken gulped. The other one looked no less pale. "Look, we're sorry, alright?! We didn't mean nothing by it!"

"That was interesting," Jen says as she watches the pair run off. The breeze blows as merrily as always, and the townsfolk keep chatting. Do they have any idea what just happened? Do they even know anything just happened?

"Jeez, that was cold," you mutter. "They were obviously guilty enough."

"Sorry." Jen rubs the back of her neck. "It's just how I was raised."

"What kind of childhood did you have?!"

"Oh, you know." She shrugs. "That aside, Scraggy."

"I was doubting he did it because it seems unlikely he could just up and steal five gems so quickly. He was pulling up that weird cover over himself as he left, though, so it's possible."

"No, I think you're right. No Pokemon should be that adept at crime. We need to track him down."

"Do you know where Hazy Pass is?"

"Should be accessible from the highway."

You look farther south, at the crossroads just out the entrance. "So we're going back, then?"

"Into another Mystery Dungeon, yes. We were planning to anyways."

"We don't know how much tougher this one'll be."

"How are you sure it will be tougher?"

"I don't know. Let's just go." You go.

A clap. "So... you kids... are back...?"

"Hi, Quagsire," you say, stopping just short of the crossroads. "We're going to Hazy Pass now."

He hums. "I see... where is that...?"

"I was hoping you'd know."

"Well... I do... see here... I put up a map..." And yes, you do see a larger wooden signboard behind him, just behind the one that welcomes visitors to Post Town. It's large and juts out, but at least there's no way you'll miss it now. You lean over and look. It's a detailed map, almost like a painting, underneath a plate of glass. Some sections are marked, with a legend on the right. Purple for Mystery Dungeons (hey! There's Ragged Mountain in the west, surrounded by the forest you fell into, and the path that leads out here! And whoa! That's Stony Cave all the way in the northeast!), blue is for Post Town, and red is for unexplored dungeons. There are a lot of those, all places you've never been. None of the names are marked.

"Which one is Hazy Pass?" you ask.

"This one..." Quagsire points a flipper at an orange, rust-coloured area near Ragged Mountain, in the north-west. It doesn't look very different from what Paradise looks like on the map.

But. "Why don't you just mark them?"

"Did I... not do that...?" Quagsire blinks, but otherwise gives no reaction. "Well... I suppose... I'll fix that... by the time... you two... come back..."

"Thanks, Quagsire," you say. "Hey, Jen, let's go."

She nods. "Of course."


	13. Chapter 12

Different.

That's the only way to say it. It's different.

You'd always known it was different. It was always different, between being in Post Town or paradise, and being out in a Mystery Dungeon. It's not just the danger that makes you more fast, blunt, and efficient. It's the sense of just being there.

But this is different, even by those standards.

The sun looks to be setting soon, if that is really the sun. You've never seen it this big before, not even in this world, not yet. It is a desert sun, the kind that eclipses the sky, the air, and the sand themselves. The sky around it is the same yellow, and you can't tell where the star ends and where the world begins. The bright is reflected on the earth all around you: the mountain range, seemingly purely made of hardened mud, extends forever. Its light browns mix with bronze, gold, and the occasional colour, where moss, grass, or even a flower may have sprung up. The colours don't last long out here in the mountain deserts. Wooden barriers line the edges of cliffs and hold up the entrances to caves. You don't dare look beyond them.

A large wooden sign, faded as usual, greets the two of you as you enter. Jen has her head down behind you, kicking at balls of dirt. The bag slips down her shoulder, but she makes no move to readjust it. It's ironically empty without any empty chatter. The wind blows for a moment, and you close your eyes as you see the sand sweeping along the ground.

You keep walking, painfully aware of leaden footsteps behind you, and see a tree stump. It is low to the ground, or so you would've said, but at present it is taller than you are. Climbing on, squirming, you see that it is perfectly cut, artificial. All along the wall are three more, though you can't tell whether these are stumps or very strange mud circles. They are much lower to the ground.

"Hey, Jen, what do you think about this?"

She doesn't reply, but you didn't expect her to. That doesn't stop your disappointment.

You try and catch her eye. Tentatively, "Are you mad at me?"

"No."

"Are you upset with me?"

"Not really."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop." Jen sighs heavily. "I should be sorry. And I am."

Can we save this for later? You hold your breath.

"Alright, listen," she says. "I've been pushing you to go to Mystery Dungeons with me and risking your life out here to build a house for me. I've been forcing you to do things you don't want to for selfish reasons. You don't even have to stick around with me. Anyone else could've found you that day, and not led you astray. So, I'm sorry. You don't have to do this."

"Well, I don't care. I've invested too much time and effort into this to not see to it being finished."

"That's hogwash, and you know it."

"There you go with the words again. It's not like I care if you curse or anything. But come on, let's leave this for later. The day is trickling away, and we've got to settle this. You didn't want to freeze, right?"

Defeated. "Fine. But don't think I'm going to let you let me get away with this that easily."

"I won't let you get away with letting me get away with letting you get away with it."

"You're ridiculous." A fluid jump onto the stump, and then a long stride, taking the lead. "If you're so insistent on forgiving me, I'll just have to let you."

"Please don't make this into some kind of debt game."

"I won't. Come on."

"Wait, Jen, we can't get up there, this stump isn't high enough. I think we need to figure out a puzzle here."

"Yes, but we're still in their trap, so we can't play right into their hands. Come on, my vines can reach that, easy." Done just as easily as said, Jen finds herself on top of the cliff in mere moments. She extends her vines to you. You grab on, hoping you're not burdening her too much.

"We really did get stronger," you say. "You can lift me now, no problem!"

"Well, yes, but you were falling very, very fast the first time."

"Don't dash my pride." A small shape appears at the edge of your vision, but the movement is the first thing you notice, and the last. "Jen, behind you." She turns, only to get an eyeful of water as the torrent pushes you both back. It's strong, emitted by a machine or something, no doubt. You can't manage to hold onto the edge of the cliff anymore, and the both of you fall. There's enough time to look down and see what lies below. You two are both headed straight for the stump, along with the rushing current.

With an impact hard enough to knock your teeth loose if you had any, you make it onto firm land. A second later, you hear a click above the sound of the newly-created waterfall below, and realize that the stump is sinking into the ground. "Jump off," Jen calls, but the two of you are already about to land back on the dirt. With a final click, the stump sinks in fully, like a round, ringed disc in the earth. The other three discs, revealed to also be stumps, rise up out of the ground on the side of the cliff wall, leading a straight path up.

"So that's the ideal solution, huh."

The last trickle of water sounds far below, and you step off of the frankly quicksand-like consistency the baked earth has become. Your feet are wet and dirty, but there're far worse things to worry about.

"What was the thing up there?"

"Wooper," Jen responds. "A Water-type Pokemon. They can spray water and the like."

"What? No way! No fair!"

"I can understand. All Pokemon are equal, but some Pokemon are more equal than others."

"What's that from?"

"I heard someone say that once."

"That's... sad."

"So, back to your concerns?"

"Right, how are we going to get rid of that Wooper up there?"

"We go beat it."

"Uh... yeah. Of course."

Two new oceans and thirty-three seas later, the nuisance is eliminated. You already know what happened, so no recap is needed, save for 'it was tedious and boring and salty'.

Now, as the two of you duck into a mine entrance, the description still applies. In here, the air is more damp than the pseudo-desert outside but just as warm. You can almost see some sort of foggy steam in the dim light. It makes you no small amount of uncomfortable. Small, frail shoots of grass grow in the nooks and crannies of the cave. A small puddle lies in a pit in the ground, where the two of you relieve yourselves of 'salty' in the description and add 'oh god this tastes even more disgusting'. The rocks and gravel all around you are stained red. From rust, you presume. There's no way walking on all fours in this is healthy. It feels like an abandoned mineshaft, too. You're more concerned for your health than your life.

"Get down!" You do, but something still hits you in the back of the head. It's small and light and... sticky. You frantically rub your hands on the dirt. You're going to need a few thousand tetanus shots after this.

Jen dodges around, nearly jumping off the walls. Her speed, combined with her agility, makes her dangerous, you know. And the Pokemon knows it too. The small leaf-worm twitches and turns to run. It's no match at all.

"One Sewaddle, down." Jen lands lightly on small feet. "Dropped some money, too." She paws it into the bag matter-of-factly, and turns to look at you. "That web is common of Bug-types. It'll harden and fall off eventually, so trying to get it off by force won't really do anything." She pauses. "Are you angry?"

"Why?"

"You haven't said anything."

"I've been thinking."

"About what?"

"Everything. All of this."

"I know it must be strange. It's only been two days, after all."

"Feels like nothing short of forever."

"Really? Time feels like it's going faster for me."

"Well, me too. It feels like it's going too fast, and yet, this is all I've ever known."

She points at the crest on your head. "The web is beginning to fall. I think you can get rid of it now."

You do. "Thanks. Let's keep going."

With hands and head a faded rust, the two of you continue to trudge on, the air getting less humid with each step. It's less strain on the eyes, too. Your feet sink more and more as you continue up the floors, slowing you down.

"The ground's more loose here," you say, tapping your foot on the dirt. It nearly goes through "Think we're getting close?"

"To the top? Yes."

"We'd better. I'm tired from crawling through this gravel."

Jen cocks her head for a moment. "You're an Axew, though. Axew are good at climbing walls."

"I'm not."

"Try."

"Fine." You stand next to one, and look it up and down. You put your hands against it. It's dusty, and cold. You try and climb. You fail utterly, butt landing on the dirt with a thud and a small puff of dust.

"I guess not," Jen says, and you can hear the smile in her voice. She's not frantically holding back laughter, but she's not exactly composed either.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go." Before you can take another step, you spot three Sewaddle crawling around the corner. They meet your eyes, but you can't really tell past the faded blank look in them. Their intent, however, is obvious as they slowly gain speed, attention fixed on you and Jen.

"This is fair," you mutter, and charge in headfirst. You don't see what you're hitting, but you feel satisfaction like you feel something soft getting pummeled. It's a fistfight, really, the schoolyard ones you'd never gotten to take a part of. Outnumbered and outmatched, you watched the underdogs flip the big ones right over.

Though that's not exactly a fitting recount, it's still more and less what happened. Kneeling over them, you check if the Pokemon are carrying anything of value. You hand over a small handful of money to Jen, who puts it into the bag dutifully. "Look, I found a Health Orb."

"How many orbs are there, exactly?"

"Kinds of them? A lot. I've yet to see all of them."

"Oh boy. I have to memorize all of them?"

"If you want. But I'll do my best to stay with you. A helping hand, if you want."

"I do want. So, what's this orb do?"

"The Health Orb makes us healthy. We won't suffer from status effects like when I was confused earlier. We won't be affected by stat changes, either. Best of all, it cures them if we're already inflicted."

"Well, guess we'll be good to go if we get confused again."

"If you can get into the bag without me unwittingly stabbing you, yes."

You stick out your tongue because you don't know what to think of that.

You wander around some more, though it's really Jen leading you places. It looks like she knows what she's doing, upright and regal. You don't believe that for a second. The two of you get into a few more scuffles, and where there aren't rusty stains, there are bruises. You wonder how Christmas-themed you two would be by the time you tasted real air again.

Speak of the devil. A luminous glow from down the corridor, and you know it's the exit. You watch as Jen scrambles excitedly out underneath the wooden planks.

"Still not there?" you ask when you hear her sigh from outside. You crawl out more slowly. It's bright, even this late. That cave did no wonders for your skin, lungs, nor eyes. They're still functional, though, and you look around. It looks to be about the same as when you first arrived: a treestump puzzle. The solution is more than obvious. Jen jumps onto the highest one, and beckons you to follow.

"We're not going out of our way this time?"

"Saltwater isn't a delicacy, I'll have you know."

Pounding down on the treestump (almost) simultaneously, it activates, and you proceed higher. The ground is nearly crumbling here, and you can see why this mine was almost surely evacuated. You try to take light steps like Jen does. You should've known you were more heavy, though, and a foot goes right through, hitting something hard.

"Are you alright?" Jen comes back, hearing your yelp. Then, she narrows her eyes. "What is that?"

"What is what?" You wrench your foot out of the pit, and see something glimmering. You begin to dig like a dog, throwing up loose dirt behind you. You take out the marvel you unearth, slowly.

"Is that a Gold Bar?" Jen asks, eyes nigh glittering.

"Really? Why is it in this shape out in nature?"

"I'm not sure. We should keep it for now."

You give it to her to tuck it away safely. "Doesn't that one Pokemon in town want them or something?"

"Cofagrigus? Yes, I heard from some gossipers. They say we can trade these for rare items."

"We can't sell them?"

"Well, money is made of gold, after all."

"Really?"

"Not in the human world, I presume?"

"No way! The world would go bankrupt! We make them out of paper and metals."

"You need a lot of it?"

"Yeah. I don't know much, but yeah. There are trillions in solid form, but most of it is just 'yeah, I'll pay you later's."

"How does that work?"

"I don't know. Humans are weird."

Jen puffs out her chest. "Right?"

"So about the gold?"

"Right. So, since money is made of gold, it'd be like selling money. There really is no point to that. So, what I'm guessing is, Cofagrigus only accepts gold bars because they're important to him somehow."

"The fact that they're already made into the perfect shape is pretty weird, huh. Maybe someone just stole them and buried them everywhere, or something."

"Possibly. Look, there's another entrance into the cave again."

"Do we have to?"

"Seems to be the only path forward."

You groan. "Obligations."

This new cave is much like the last, with gravel slightly less compact. You're certain there isn't a speck of green left on your body anymore. Why, even your irises are red too! Probably made just for this purpose. You trudge on, though it's less trudging and more tip-toeing around crumbling sections. You need to wrap this up before the whole mound comes crashing down, but that doesn't mean you can't stop along the way to pick up more money and an Oran Berry or two.

You perk up. "Stairs, over there."

"How much farther, can you tell?"

"No. You would've thought we'd made it by now."

"Maybe it's a longer Mystery Dungeon."

"It is. Is the number of floors randomly regenerated too?"

Jen pauses. "No, it's set IN STONE." She pats the rocky wall twice for emphasis, and bursts into laughter. You know she was never laughing at her joke, but at your reaction. You can't not smile, either.

Up the stairs, and you find yourself in something else entirely. It's a large room, wider than any of the ones you've encountered in any of the Mystery Dungeons so far. The grass is considerably greener, and the floor is surprisingly stable, the gravel, you notice, almost uniform. All around the room are walls, and directly in front, a long corridor. Right beside it is a familiar sight.

"Isn't that the Deposit Box?" you ask.

"Has someone moved it here?"

"No, I think there're a lot of them here. In Mystery Dungeons, I mean."

"I suppose. Maybe explorers set them in dungeons to store their things."

"Yeah, that makes sense. But why?"

Jen pauses. "Well, since it is like an otherworldly network, I'd imagine that it connects to all other Deposit Boxes, like you said. And, if we are to both lose consciousness, we'd still be able to access our things from Post Town."

"But wouldn't we already be goners?"

"Oh," she says. "Did I not tell you? If the whole team faints in a Mystery Dungeon, the explorer's badge will automatically teleport you back to safety, but it doesn't guarantee you will escape with all of your items, and the money you carry will be halved."

""We'd be home-free if we had that, huh."

"Well, having no fallback makes us tougher, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess. And did you just call us a team?"

"Aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are, huh. Two days."

"Necessity is the mother of invention."

"Yeah, I guess. So, should we deposit anything?"

"No, there'd be no point for us specifically."

"So, we're gonna keep going?"

"Yes, we're almost there. I can feel it. You up for it?"

You nod. "Then let's give it our all, as always!"


	14. Chapter 13

"Will we ever catch up?"

"We will. We have to."

How long has it been now? Though the surface area is now considerably smaller, you're still convinced that every inch of your body is caked with dirt, save for your eyes- and even that is starting to get kind of ambiguous. You can't imagine all this climbing is doing wonders for you, not when you're not simply doing it as a workout.

And that's not the only tiring thing, either. The two of you had encountered more Pokemon as you'd ascended, including an Audino (they remind you of peaches and cream), which had taken forever to take down. Even now, you can still feel the bruises sting. It was worth it, though, you're sure of it. When you look over and see the blue band adorning Jen's neck (you're pretty sure it was intended to be a wristband, but it was far too big to be worn as one) you know you did something right. A Power Band, she called it. 'These increase physical strength to whoever wears it. They're very useful. Wait, you don't want it? Why not?' Then, 'Fine. I guess that makes sense. But the next time we find any item such as this, it's all yours.' You'd told her that though she was significantly faster, her raw strength wasn't as high, so you should even out the playing field for what you're sure is an impending battle.

That wasn't the only enemy in these upper floors, though. You had come across more Wooper and Sewaddle- in gangs, they had proven to be much stronger, not at all unlike you expected. You thank whoever is up there that you don't have a fear of water or bugs. The puddle situation is getting progressively worse, especially with the loosening dirt. From the skirmishes, though, you managed to get a Health Orb and some Chesto Berries, ones that apparently cause insomnia. You're not sure why you would need that, but Jen insisted on bringing some in case.

Best of all, though, your biggest reward from all the fighting wasn't an item: it was learning to unleash some of your newfound strength. 'Demon Flame', you named it. No reason. It just sounded cool. And looked even better.

The first time you used it you thought you'd unleashed the netherlord. Flames so hot they burned white, dying off in purples at the ends. The Sewaddle had shrieked and passed out instantly. Everyone in the battle stopped and stared. You did too: jaw already dropped to the floor and everything. You swear you heard Jen's eyes widen in the utter silence.

"Look," Jen says. You do, and up ahead is a square of (relative) light, bordered with familiar wooden planks.

"Are we at the top?"

"I don't think so."

And indeed, she is right, when you stumble out the entranceway. It is even dimmer in the sky than you remembered, and you're seeing stars, though you can't tell whether they're actually in the sky or just swimming in front of your eyes. The land is as barren up here as always, grasses rustling faintly in the cool evening breeze. Where's the next entranceway or set of stairs? Not to the right, nor to the left, nor to-

But there is something else there, to the left. Not something, you realize: someone. Pulling up skin flaps like low-ride jeans, you spot a familiar Scraggy pacing about nervously, skitterish. You brace yourself. He hasn't spotted you yet, so maybe you could sneak up on him with a Demon Flame: and then it'll all be over.

Jen hushes you quietly, voice muffled by the Power Band. "There's someone else. Coming towards us."

"Who?"

She doesn't say anything, but you have a good feeling who it is anyways. Wordlessly, you follow her into a hiding place behind a large boulder, nearly three times your height. From here, you can catch a good view of Scraggy and of the entraceway from whence you came. Two Pokemon coming from both directions: now you'll finally get to see what this is all about, provided you don't get caught- of which the chances are very high. You shrink against the rock. Dusty and cold. You stifle a cough and hold your breath.

You can't say you're surprised when you see him finally come, but your heart still drops like a stone. Against Scraggy, maybe, but there's no way you'd win a battle against this one. The I-beam he carries everywhere would crush you into bits within seconds. Now, the scowl on his face is not the usual, but you can't tell whether that's good or not. Jen stiffens beside you.

Gurdurr's appearance, it seems, had not surprised Scraggy in the least. In fact, he looked frustrated at the much bulkier Pokemon, running up to greet him impatiently, pulling up skin flaps all along the way. You crane your head to get a better look.

"Sorry for the wait," Gurdurr grunts.

"Took you long enough," Scraggy sneers, voice tinted with a hint of boredom, so typical of all the gangsters you'd heard back in your world. "I want to get down to business."

"Don't be like that. I've got to make sure I'm not followed either." Gurdurr wrinkles his nose. "It takes a lot of work to keep up a scam like this, you know?"

You feel a low growl rise in the depths of your throat. But you keep watching, and think desperately of some way to put these two lowly crooks to justice. The Pokemon beside you is nigh shaking, too, eyes blazing. These kinds of souls don't deserve anything!

"You haven't lost your touch, though," Gurdurr continues, eyes slightly narrowed. "Still quite the skillful little thief."

Scraggy's face twists into a grin, but says nothing.

"So..." A pause. "Where's the cash?"

Scraggy spits on the ground and waves a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. I've got what I promised you." A beat. "Getting a little greedy, aren't we?"

Gurdurr's eyes flare, but he keeps his composure. That isn't something you thought him capable of. Maybe there's something more to the story. "I'm not the greedy one here," he says carefully. "Those blue gems will pay you back big time if you sell them in the west. Compared to that, the money you pay me is like a drop in the bucket."

Scraggy flashes a wicked grin. "True enough."

The other Pokemon narrows his eyes. Stays quiet.

"Of course," continues Scraggy, mostly to himself. "I could just go into Stony Cave myself and get some, but it does get pretty dicey in there." To, Gurdurr, with a mocking edge, "Having you lend your particular expertise to that problem is just plain expedient. Ain't no other way about it."

Gurdurr nods, but seems lost in thought. Then says, not without a hint of cruelty, "I'm going to get those two fools to bring me some more gems. I'll be counting on the usual amount when they do."

At this point, you're starting to feel sick.

"What?!" Even Scraggy seems a bit surprised. "You're going to have them get you even more?! Those little losers?!"

"That's right," Gurdurr chuckles. "After all, they're still dumb enough to believe I'll build them a house. At this rate, I'll be able to send them after more gems for the rest of their lives!"

Scraggy's disgust is now nearly as plain on his face as yours. "You serious?! Dude, you're cold! It's their dream to build their own home, ain't it? They're going to keep believing in that dream and just keep bringing you gems forever!"

Gurdurr is roaring with laughter now. "Exactly!"

"They'll keep doing that, never knowing it won't come true?" Scraggy chews on his lip, uncertain. "Man, ain't you got any heart left? That's cruel, even for me."

Gurdurr snorts, unfazed. "You want me to cry over this or something, oh great Scraggy, one of the worst criminals of the west?"

Scraggy sticks out his tongue. "Just wanted to have see if you'd go back on your word. You're no fun to play with, though." A pause. Then, accompanied by a snorting fit of giggles, "Though THEY are." Gurdurr joins in a second later, a low, rumbling bass. You watch the pair laugh and cheer, and you can't take it anymore.

"Hey!" you shout, as loudly as you can after the day-long hiking and fighting. But this time, you feel energy pulse through the entirety of your body, and the adrenaline pounds in your ears even harder when you see the duo's eyes widen.

"What?!" Gurdurr yells, nearly stumbling backward. "You two-"

"We followed Scraggy here," Jen cuts in, words encased in ice. "Quite the act you two had going on here, this whole time. Though I regret to inform you that we never believed you for a second." When the crooks' jaws hang open, speechless, you see her allow herself a smile.

"What will you do now?" you taunt, drawing out the moment a little longer.

Gurdurr is the first to compose himself, and he snarls, eyes cold. "Anyone who expects honesty in this world is a fool. That's what you'd get for trusting me. Dream big, and you lose big."

"So I'm assuming you've done this to plenty of others in the past?"

"It's their own fault for getting tricked."

You're utterly speechless. Jen seems no better off, eyes wide, as if not believing what she is hearing.

Scraggy hesitates, putting on a mock uncertainty. "You mean you were tailing me this whole time? You actually saw through me? I'm almost impressed. But, I mean, what are you going to do now? You want to fight against the two of us?"

Your stomach does thirty somersaults despite your best efforts.

"I'm warning you now, I've been tussling on the wrong side of the route my whole life. The battles I've been through, little squirts like you couldn't imagine. It'd be best for you to just toddle off home to your mamas, you hear?"

The sheer irony almost pushes you on by itself. "Of course, mister, we'll head back right now. Sorry for the trouble, we promise we won't do it again."

Scraggy narrows his eyes. "My, my, my, and even after I went to the trouble of warning you."

"So you really want to fight?" Gurdurr repositions his steel beam, and you hope that won't be repositioning through you any time soon. "You don't have a bit of sense between the two of you, do you?"

Enough to figure out a plot as transparent as yours, you think to yourself.

Scraggy's voice is flat now, hands emptying the money and assorted gems from his skin pockets onto the ground. "Fine, then. Why don't we show you just how big of a mistake you're making?"

The two Pokemon glance at each other. "Let's roll."


	15. Chapter 14

It's sudden, and it's suddenly terrifying.

There isn't even a second's time from when Scraggy finishes talking to when you're suddenly on the ground, eyes unable to focus, head spinning. You hear a thud from somewhere and you don't know what happened. You try to get up but you feel something hard in your gut, and there's no way you can get back up now.

You hope Jen is faring better, though for a second there you don't remember anyone with that name. She's fast, after all, and combined with a Power Band, she should be able to take them, easy.

She doesn't, and the adrenaline wears off, all at once.

Two kids against full-grown adults, full-fledged con artists, no less. Hardened criminals, one a brute twice your size with a metal beam, and one a little devil with kick power greater than the heat of the flames you pride yourself on. Within seconds, you're up against the edge of the cliff, head still swimming.

"Ned!" Jen yells, tottering dangerously. "Demon Flame!"

"I don't think it'll do much," you try to say, but you're not sure you'd have enough strength left to actually attack, so instead of noise, you make fire.

A brilliant white, illuminating the rapidly darkening sky. This time, you're sure those are stars up there. But they don't seem so bright compared to the light of the flames. Curling into purples and violets, and finally into smoke without time to rise, you concentrate as much of your force as you can towards the two Pokemon. You're going to pass out.

"Right, like that'll do much," Gurdurr growls. The metal pole he holds to shield himself doesn't so much as seem to heat up. You feel a lump in your throat, and it isn't whatever the flame is coming from.

Gurdurr lunges forward at Jen with the pole. She narrowly avoids it, but you're not smiling anymore when she's knocked down by Scraggy, waiting on the side. They laugh, and the sound triggers something that makes your eyes fuzzy. They tower over her, then bring you and kick you down too. They keep laughing. The only tears you shed are those of anger.

"Talk big, and pretty good at staying unnoticed, but you two aren't very good at fighting."

"Figures. Just pampered little brats that want their own little cottage."

"Like you'll ever get one."

"You guys say you knew all about our plan, but you still walked right into the trap? Right. Of course."

"All words and no action."

"Though I'm glad this happened, haven't gotten to vent my frustrations in a while." Scraggy giggles.

Jen coughs, but her voice does not break when she speaks. "Do you do this for fun?"

"Not always to little kids, if that's what you mean. I'm not that cruel. I only do it if the opportunity presents itself." Gurdurr smiles innocently.

"You call yourselves adults?" The cold fury in your voice satisfies you. "You are the scum of the earth. What kind of p- Pokemon does this to others just for their own pleasure?"

"Aww, you're stuttering. How cute."

"Shut up," you say. "Stop talking."

"Excuse me?"

"Shut up. Stop. Talking."

"No, I think you should, little punk."

"Stop."

When they open their mouths again, you do too, because god, they are so annoying, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so annoying.

A gunshot. Silence. And then the open fire. And then the bombs. And the screaming. And then the silence again.

That's what it's like this time around. The fire crackles loudly, and the two Pokemon are taken aback for a moment. But when they retaliate with all the disbelieving anger of you trying to usurp their power role, they can't. The fire is brighter this time, hotter, and you have to squint your eyes or the tears will boil. The two outlaws shy away from it, and even Gurdurr's iron beam is dropped on the ground, when it had become too hot to hold. Good. You advance slowly, keeping your fire at as much of a consistent rate as possible. You don't think about what could happen if they were to circle around behind you and attack you from there.

"Ned!" Jen yells, and takes something out of the bag. It's an Oran Berry, your last one. She throws it. "Go!"

You're not the one who catches it.

Scraggy takes his spot next to Gurdurr once again, chewing slowly, irritatingly. "Didn't think I'd need one of these, but I didn't see that fire coming either. Good thing you had one of these on you. Thanks."

That's the word that drops the bomb.

That's the last word before the screaming starts, at which point there are no words left to say.


	16. Chapter 15

Scraggy picks up the gems and the money and runs, tails tucked between his legs. You don't even think of stopping him.

Gurdurr's low curses thunder in the quiet. You're all breathing heavily, and you don't even care anymore. Jen stands up and totters over to stand side by side with you. Gurdurr leans heavily on the cooled metal beam, on his knees. His skin is covered in burns. He probably deserves worse.

"I won't lose here," he growls, face contorted into a scowl of hate and pain. "I won't lose to you fools!"

"Just give up," Jen says. You can't muster up any more energy to fight were he to get back up.

He does, and with the loudest roar you've heard yet. He slams the dirt with the beam. A small cloud of dust pools at your feet. You can't do this, and consider just lying down and passing out.

"Come on!" Gurdurr bellows. He charges forward, and this is it. Can't even survive for two days as a Pokemon.

And then, a reedy voice you recognize. Could this get any worse?

"Boss! Please, just stop!"

"What?!" Gurdurr's eyes widen when he sees the two Timburr dash in, out of breath, a leather bag jostling on each of their waists. They look at you with pity. You're too tired to question it, much less hate it. You just grin weakly and look away. They glance at Jen, too, then turn their attention back to Gurdurr.

"Boss, we're begging you!"

"Please stop doing these things!"

Gurdurr doesn't relent. "Why are you two...?! No... no way. You didn't. You wouldn't!"

The Timburr's eyes are full of fear, but they do not shy away from the furious glare boring into them.

"So you two are the ones who sold me out," Gurdurr says. He laughs wildly, hysterically. "The backstabbers appear at last! It was your meddling!" The Pokemon raises the metal beam above his head to smash it down, but the lanky Timburr steps forward, barely shaking.

"Boss! Please! Let this be the last time you do this sort of thing!"

Gurdurr snarls.

"We don't want to do this anymore," Timburr says. A gulp. "We never work. All we do is bad stuff. We don't want to watch anymore of this."

The other Timburr steps up. "You never used to be like this, Boss. You were nice! And you loved your work!" Hesitation. "You're not the boss we knew. Not anymore."

Gurdurr snorts. "You think you little runts can defy me, is that it?"

The Timburr don't give in, either. "We don't want to do bad things anymore, Boss!" There's a hint of tears in their voices, and suddenly you don't know what to think anymore. "Please, Boss! We're begging! Can't we just do honest work together like we used to? Can't you just have fun working with us again?!"

Gurdurr wrinkles his nose and scowls. "Work like we used to?! You guys know better than anyone that there's no way that can happen ever again!" He screams, a guttural sound, and smacks the Timburr aside with two swings of the beam. They fall over, winded, with a yelp.

"Are you really so pig-headed as to not accept a proposal you don't even deserve?!" Jen's shaking, silent fury trailing down her cheeks. She blinks to clear it. "Those Timburr are good, kindred spirits. They forgave you for everything you've done and offered to start anew. And you refused?!"

Gurdurr turns around, and for the first time, you notice a large scar across the whole of his back. That's what he gets for committing such crimes: karma sure works its magic. But when he speaks, his voice is soft, wistful, and you're scared, because maybe he's not perfectly evil anymore. "It's time you guys learned that you can't just go back to the way things used to be."

You watch him walk into the mineshaft leading higher up into Hazy Pass, everything you'd thought up until now completely flipped upside down. The groan of pain of Timburr brings you back.

"Are you guys okay?" you ask. Though you weren't sure whether the two of you were in the position to be asking this question, taking the utter beating from earlier into consideration.

"Yeah, fine," says stocky Timburr, wincing. "It's a good thing we brought Oran Berries and Health Orbs. We kind of figured you'd gotten into some pretty deep trouble with the Boss."

"Here," lanky Timburr says, handing you and Jen some of the berries in question. You eat them ravenously, and feel a bit better. Still, though it restores your health and heals most wounds, it doesn't alleviate your exhaustion. Jen, too, looks completely worn, but glances at you and smiles slightly, as if saying, 'Just a little more!'

"Thank you," she says to the Timburr.

"It's fine. It's our fault, so this is the least we can do."

Jen hesitates. "It seems there's more to this story than what we've heard. Is it alright if you would tell us what happened?"

The Timburr look at each other and sigh. "Yes. It'll change what you think of the Boss, I'm sure of it."

"He's not what he seems, I suppose."

"No, he isn't. Our boss used to be a great carpenter. Like, really!"

"Go on," Jen urges, voice soft. "It's not unheard of for Pokemon like that to fall from grace."

"Yeah, everyone loved his work back then! We were in awe of his skill and that's why we wanted to work with him. We're brothers, you see. And being his apprentices was really, really fun!"

"I see."

Timburr gulps. "But then... one day, the boss got injured. It was his back. And after that, he couldn't move the way he used to... his body just wouldn't listen. So he couldn't build the way he used to, either. And, because of that, he couldn't practice his building skills, so they went downhill."

The other Timburr cuts in indignantly. "But even then! Even without his old skills, the boss kept doing the best he could, you know?! He still had pride in his work! But! Then. It... happened."

"May I ask what this event was?"

"A certain Pokemon had asked us to build him a house. Work had become pretty scarce by that time. We were so happy, all three of us. We poured our hearts into that house. We used up every last drop of energy we had to build it!"

"How did it turn out?"

"That Pokemon, he started by bashing the quality of our work. And then he destroyed the house. Right before our very eyes."

"Who would do such a thing?!"

"At first we thought he'd torn it down because our work wasn't good enough, but that wasn't it. From the very start, he was just-" A scowl twists Timburr's features. "-toying with us."

"What do you mean?"

"He had us build that house with every intention of tearing it down afterwards. He was planning from the start to complain about the work as an excuse not to pay us. That Pokemon called the boss' house a piece of garbage! And then he smashed it over and over until there really was nothing but garbage left..."

The other Timburr snarls. "The boss had no confidence in himself after that day. He gave into his despair and stopped working at all. Eventually, he started cheating other Pokemon."

"Like us."

"Wait," you say. "But if that Pokemon was just planning to say those things from the start, that means it had nothing to do with how good or bad your work was."

Timburr nods solemnly. "We tried saying that, too. But the boss just wouldn't listen to a word we said."

The other Timburr squeezes his eyes shut. "That house! He tried so hard to do a perfect job, and then it all got torn down, right in front of him!"

"I don't think it's unreasonable to give up after seeing that," Jen says softly.

"But still!" The lankier Timburr starts shaking. "That doesn't mean he should become a criminal! We don't want the boss to keep doing these bad things! We thought maybe we could change things this time."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Years, now. That's why we tried warning you guys about Scraggy. But I guess that, in the end, the boss isn't going to change, is he?" A sad laugh.

"We just want to work together with the boss again, for him to go back to being the same old boss who loved his work, doing what he did," the other Timburr says. "I know we've said this a million times, but that's all we want."

"Deep down, I think that's what he wants, too," Jen whispers.

"Really?"

"Really. And you know what?"

"Yeah?"

She looks at you, as if asking for approval. You smile. "Anything you want, I'm alright with."

"Well, then, that makes two of us."

"What is it?" asks a Timburr, teary-eyed.

"Our house is definitely going to be built by Gurdurr!"

The Timburr's eyes widen in surprise. You can nearly hear their jaws drop to the floor. "Wait, what?!"

"We mean it."

"Even after he's been so terrible to you?! Why would you-"

"No one can help him now but us. And besides, we've already decided."

"Yeah," you add. "We don't want anyone else to build it. Gurdurr's our guy. And you two, as well!"

Jen smiles. "We want to see the house the three of you will build together, a house with all your heart and soul poured into it."

"Serious?"

"Serious."

"But what if the boss says no?"

"There's nothing else to it, we'll just keep on asking him to help us until he agrees!"

A pause.

"Thank you." The two Timburr are looking at you two now, all tears and smiles. "Thank you so, so much."

"Don't sweat it!" Jen smiles back, and so do you. "And besides, now's not the time for that just yet: we've got ourselves a carpenter to find!"


	17. Chapter 16

Adventuring with Timburr and Timburr is different.

With Jen, it was simple. A tag-team duo that watched one another's back, with a single bag and sharing items, you asking questions and Jen answering as best as she can.

Now, it's strange. An odd tension- you were mortal enemies with their boss only minutes ago, for god's sakes- and knowledge that the two of you are hiding something, and that they are as well. Having to be too polite when deciding who to keep items, and general confusion on battle tactics and on who should lead the way. But the glances she gives you are what really drives it home, tells you that there really isn't anyone on this side of the sky you can trust but Jen. 'Don't ask what this item is,' is what the look says, and you look away because you realize just how strange you would seem. So you just wonder and wonder and wonder as you pick up more money and seeds and orbs, saying, 'No, Timburr, you can have it,' the whole way through. You do thank the almighty no new Pokemon have made an appearance so far- oh, how you'd be ridiculed for using wrong non-effective moves. And you need to talk to Jen in private: about the fight, is she alright, the new evolution of Demon Flame, Gurdurr's story, should you actually trust these Timburr (of course, you do, but that doesn't mean you're making the right decision) and thank you thank you thank you for the freedom of speech I didn't realize I had until now.

The enemies are not a sweat with a team of four- the Timburr prove to be able fighters (they must be, to have made their way here alone) and deal a lot of damage with sweeping kicks and wooden plank smacking. This ease of battle is one thing you'll be missing.

Soon enough, the four of you come across another perfectly uniform room with a Deposit Box.

"Good, a checkpoint," chirps the stocky Timburr. "I guess it'll be the final floor soon, where we'll find the boss."

"How come?" you ask.

"Well, these checkpoints are usually placed at halfway points or just before critical floors in Mystery Dungeons. Not by explorers, either! They say that they mysteriously appear, just like the inside of Mystery Dungeons, but the floor they're at never changes. These checkpoints and other special places are the only floors in Mystery Dungeons that never change. Are you two new to adventuring?"

"Yeah. Kind of."

"I see. You two are still young. Wouldn't expect you to know everything about it. Do you not have your explorer's badge?"

"No, we're just starting out," Jen says. "We want to learn the ropes first."

"Still, it's probably best to have one. I trust you have an Escape Orb then?"

Jen exchanges a glance with you, then looks away quickly. "Of course. Are you two adventurers as well? You seem to know a lot."

"We've been training in secret from the boss so that we could prevent him from doing this one day. So... today, I guess."

"I see." The two of you wait a few moments in silence as the Timburr put away their things in the Deposit Box. They must've brought a lot of things with them.

"We're nearly to the peak now," you say. "Ready?"

"I hope we can settle this peacefully," Jen mumbles.

"Well, let's go."

Just down the hallway is another exit, wooden plank squares and all. A rectangle of indigo lies beyond. It really is nighttime now. You take a step outside, and breathe in the night air. It's cold, and you'd shiver, but the emotions inside keep you warm.

"Maybe you should stay here," you tell the Timburr. "Seeing you two might make him angry again. We'll try talking some sense into him first."

The Timburr nod slowly. "Alright. Fine." And with that, they slink back into the relative warmth of the mine.

Up here is a ledge overlooking the valleys and mountains beyond. The stones that line the path are more blue than gray in the night's light. Small patches of grass shimmer under the roundest, brightest moon you've ever seen. You can nearly see each crater, each individual mountain on it in its ice blue shimmer. If it wasn't for the salt and pepper stars and the whipped cream clouds, you could swear that this moon takes up the entirety of the sky.

And there, gazing up at it, on the very edge of the cliff, stands Gurdurr.

Jen calls out to him first.

His expression warps when he turns to face the two of you. He looks tired, incredibly tired. "What? You two again?"

Jen chooses her words carefully. "We've been looking for you, Gurdurr."

"So you're still angry, are you? Fine, let's do this."

"No-"

Gurdurr pounds his metal beam on the stone and screeches, but this one is more pain and longing than anything else. "I can't build houses anymore. Even if I wanted to build something, I ain't got the strength."

"Gurdurr, you can still-"

"Yes, exactly. I've still got more than enough strength for fighting! Good-for-nothing power that can't create a thing! You thought your flames of fury attack was tough stuff, eh? I'll show you what real rage looks like!"

"No-"

Gurdurr's beam misses Jen by a hair. But he keeps attacking, just swinging and kicking, all the fuel on reserve being dumped into the fire all at once. He swings, again and again, and there's no way Jen will be able to dodge all of those.

You jump into the fray as well and give the Pokemon a good chugging of your flames, but they're not as powerful as before. Gurdurr isn't even fazed. You try scratching him over and over, tackling, kicking, biting, but he doesn't even turn around, just spares you a heel and sends you flying into a boulder. You lie, winded. Of course that wouldn't do anything. There could be no worse injury for Gurdurr now than the scar on his back.

You see Jen jumping, slightly slower now, and just barely out of reach. Her bag had dropped within your arm's reach a while back. It's impossible for her to strike back in that amount of time, so you're the only one that can do anything. But with embers out of commission and even weaker hand-to-hand, is there anything you can actually do to hurt him?

"Ned, the Totter Orb!" she exclaims, out of breath. You can barely make out the words, but you totter over to the bag yourself and try to find the item in question, until you realize you'd already collected two orbs you hadn't yet identified.

You've got to make a decision, and fast. She tells you to use the Totter Orb, but what does it do? Which one is it? Will using the other one have some negative effect? But then why would you take it with you in the first place? Out of the corner of your eye, you see Jen getting pulverized by Gurdurr. That's it, that's just it. You take the one in your right hand and smash it on the ground.

You feel a surge of energy course through you. No, wait. You're still tired. Then it must be adrenaline. But you already have that too. It's...

Strength?

"Well, I guess that works too!" Jen says, and she's fast again, dodging Gurdurr's tiring swings without a sweat.

"What was that?"

Gurdurr snarls. "Oh, came prepared to fight, did you? Just wanted to tear me down right from the very beginning?"

"We came to talk, Gurdurr!" you yell. "Can we please stop fighting?"

"Doesn't look like you want to!" And he's coming towards you now, knowing you're slower than Jen is. But he's slower, too, and maybe this plan would work out just fine either way. Totter Orb or not, this had tired out Gurdurr long enough so that he couldn't fight. You find yourself avoiding his thrusts with ease, despite yourself.

"Give it up!" you tell him, and ram into his gut. Despite your size, he crumples in on himself like he'd just been shot. Jen bounces down from atop her perch on a boulder and binds Gurdurr in a tangle of vines. His metal beam which had hurt so many Pokemon so badly sits a few steps away, finally stopped. Gurdurr heaves.

"Gurdurr," Jen begins. "We need to talk."

He sneers, though he looks like he's having trouble getting enough air. "Finally satisfied now?"

"That's not what we're seeking anymore."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but don't you see it now? It doesn't matter. None of it does. It doesn't matter how much you rage against it. Now matter how much you hate it, some things can't be changed."

Jen stiffens, but lets Gurdurr continue, because he finally looks like he'll stop and speak.

And he does. "This world we live in. It's all about who's doing the lying and who's being lied to. Honest folks just look like fools. You just have to look at yourselves from a criminal's perspective. And you know, try looking at me from another perspective too. But it's my fault. And yours. In a world like this, we're the ones who get blamed for being tricked. So you can't get mad at the one who tricks you. It's just the way this rotten world works."

When Jen speaks, it's not what you expect to hear. "You know, you may be right about the world."

"So why do you keep blaming me?"

"We're not, Gurdurr. We didn't come all the way to the summit just to try and pummel you. I said that you were right about this world being rotten."

"And?"

"And that's exactly why I can't accept this sort of thing. Do you know what our dream is?"

"Build a house?"

"That's the first step, but I want to create a paradise, where all Pokemon can live in fairness and happiness. And that's why we came after you."

"So go back, now that you know what I am."

"Exactly," Jen says. "We know what you are now. Or what you used to be. And that's why we continued to hare you. Gurdurr, we want you to build us a house."

The Pokemon's face contorts. "After what I did, you still want me to build your home?"

"So you acknowledge what you were doing was wrong?"

Gurdurr says nothing.

"Anyhow, yes, we do. We'll get together the money and the materials somehow. Gurdurr, please: won't you help us build ourselves a home?"

"For Paradise?" he asks.

"For Paradise."

Gurdurr smiles, then bursts into laughter. The nasty grin returns on his face a few moments later. "I swear, you're some kind of prize fools, aren't you? Don't you even realize I've been lying to you this whole time?!"

"Of course. But fools are just honest folk."

Gurdurr frowns, not liking your reactions. "It doesn't matter anymore. I've got no hope left for this world."

"That's not true."

"You're accusing me of lying?!" Gurdurr thunders, and turns around angrily. "Look at this scar, why don't you?! Thanks to this stupid injury, my body won't even do what I want it to do anymore! I can't build anything!"

"That's not true."

"What, you think I can build you a house?!" A barking laugh. "I can't make nothing but junk anymore! Don't you get it? You're asking an old washout who can't build anything anymore to build your house!"

Jen is glaring at him when he turns back to face you. "That's not true!"

"Why don't you listen to reason, you little runts?!"

"Boss, we all know that's not true!"

On cue, the two Timburr burst out of the mine from where they'd been watching. Their eyes are blazing, and their stances scream of determination. This time, this time they wouldn't fail. You stand up a little straighter and look at Gurdurr right in the eyes. He narrows his as he scans over the little circle of Pokemon around him.

"Yeah!" adds a Timburr. "These two 'little runts' already knew about your injury!"

"You two told them?" Gurdurr snarls. "Great to see you trust two imbeciles more than your own boss."

The Timburr stand strong this time. "But even so, Boss, even knowing that, these two still want you to build their house."

Gurdurr chuckles. "True, their naivety is beyond comprehension."

"Maybe so," Jen cuts in. "But the flipside of naivety is courage to do what others haven't."

You think it's about time to say something, too. "Gurdurr, you just said you can't build anything but junk, right?"

"Making fun of me now?"

"What's wrong with building just that? You just need to work on getting better again. We want you to build our house, Gurdurr. No one else. No matter how much it looks like plain old garbage, it'll be our home. It'll be something you built that will help someone else. Isn't that what you're looking for?"

"Boss, they're doing this for you."

You continue. "If you just put your heart into building like you used to, we don't need a fancy house. We don't want to live in some perfectly built masterpiece that has no heart."

"Nothing I build has a heart anyways."

"Stop lying to yourself. We want a house built by someone who pours their heart into what they do, who loves doing what they do. And we know that that heart is still inside of you, just aching to get back into the craft again. Gurdurr, our house will have no heart but yours, because you're the only carpenter for us. You deserve to be the carpenter for everyone."

Jen smiles softly. "And besides, Timburr and Timburr would follow you to the ends of the world."

"Boss, no matter how many times you stray from the path."

"No matter how many time you lash out at us, we won't give up, Boss."

You look Gurdurr in the eye, and you see a twinge of emotion. "These guys will go on believing that you can have fun working together again someday. They've stuck with you all through these years, knowing that this isn't what you really are, deep down. You've still got them, and it's only fair to care for them as much as they've cared for you all this time."

"They've seen the worse of me already, don't see why they still bother."

"They still stick with you BECAUSE they've already seen the worse of you, Gurdurr."

Gurdurr bites his lip.

"Boss!" The stocky Timburr steps forward, teary-eyed. "Let's go back to work!"

"Let's all work together again!"

"Like the old days, when we used to have fun working together."

"Please, Boss."

"Please."

Gurdurr looks down at the ground, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Gurdurr!" you yell. "Please! Build our house, the house that no one but you could make!"

"We'll catch that Pokemon," Jen says softly. "We'll catch the Pokemon that did this to you, and bring them to justice one day. We promise."

"Shut up!" Gurdurr screeches. "I'm a criminal, I don't deserve to be treated like this."

"If you're so insistent, consider this your punishment. Build something, doing the thing you hate the most."

"But I don't hate it!"

"We know. You love your craft, your work. That's why it has to be you."

Gurdurr smiles sadly, and you can see his eyes water in the blue of the moonlight. "You kids make no sense at all."

"Boss, please."

"Please."

"Yeah, I'll do it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. I'll put everything I've got into it." He pulls the Timburr into a hug. "I'm sorry, you two. I've been the worse boss, haven't I?"

"Sure have."

"Yep. Terrible."

"Yeah," he agrees. "Let's start over."


	18. Chapter 17

It takes five days.

The first night you all headed back with the Escape Orb the Timburr had brought.

"We'll start first thing tomorrow morning," Gurdurr had said. With teary eyes and tired lids you bid your goodnights and parted ways.

With Jen in the lead, the only thing you remember is blue moon and endless yawning. Anywhere to sleep would do for the night. Your temporary beds back in Paradise, the floor, the river. You end up settling for the first option, with exhaustion strong enough to fight off the chill of the night. The cold straw felt like the most heavenly bed in the world. You fell asleep almost instantly.

The next morning was the planning. Gurdurr and the Timburr had come at the first crack of dawn, still wiping sleep from their eyes, but bright and cheery as never before. Gurdurr smiled slightly, still unsure. You yawned and told him this would be the best thing ever. Everyone cheered, and set to work.

A small house, you'd all decided. A single room would be all you need, with simple walls and a simple roof. And windows to let in the light and air. Minimalistic, Gurdurr had put it. Neither of you tell him it's because you want to let his creativity and soul show through.

Afternoon brought Quagsire's arrival and a gathering of supplies. I was worried when you two weren't back yet last night, he tells you. Good to see whatever problem there was is solved. Yeah, you say. It's good to see.

When the only things Gurdurr ask for is wood, mud, and leaves, you're not sure what to expect. You brought them to him, and he sets to work with Timburr and Timburr immediately.

"Can you put this plank over there?" he asked occasionally. "Can you give me that big leaf?"

By the end of the first day, you had misshapen wood in two colours and a cleared area on the ground. You didn't understand how things would go from there, but Gurdurr told you to rest up. We're going to need your help in erecting all this tomorrow, he laughed.

That night, you and Jen headed to the inn, as suggested by Quagsire. You can't just sleep in an empty lot, he said. So when Swanna greets you warmly that evening (and reminds you not to call her maybe) you find yourself on the second floor, looking out over Post Town and its flowing waters under the stars. There were no clouds that night, but the moon was nowhere as bright.

Counting the money you'd paid Gurdurr and the Timburr brothers in advance and the fee for the hotel stay, Jen shuffled through the bag, mouthing numbers. It'd been a while since you've gotten to talk to her alone, and though this room had no door, it was fine, because there were no other guests tonight.

"So?" you said.

"So."

"What do you think?"

"Of these past two days? It's been quite the ride."

"Tell me about it. Aren't you glad we got to help them, though?"

"Yes, however, I cannot help but wonder where Scrafty ran off to."

"Probably back to the west, where the little crook belongs. Doubt he has any tragic tale to tell."

Jen rolled over in her bed. "Anyhow, that battle with them was very tough. I guess we're still weak if we lost to petty liars like them."

"What was that orb I used?"

"Oh, right. The All Power-Up Orb. It gives everyone on the team strength."

"Right, I did feel that. So what's the Totter Orb do?"

"It makes all the hostile Pokemon in the vicinity confused, like when Gothita attacked me way back in Ragged Mountain. Or was it Stony Cave?"

"Yeah, I hear you. I can see why that would've helped with our situation back there. What about those seeds?"

"Blast Seeds. Eat one, and you breathe fire, though I suppose you can already do that."

"Right, about the Demon Flame."

"So, did you find out anything more about it?"

"That's the thing I wanted to ask. Why does it do that? It's only powerful sometimes, but not at other critical moments."

"It seemed like you were very angry when it was at its strongest. Maybe it's fueled by emotion, and not something physical?"

"Makes sense."

"It's like pure rage. Dragon Rage."

"That sounds like a good name for it."

"You think?" Jen sighed. "Anyways, we can't rely on that attack anymore. It's certainly not a good idea to get you riled up just to use it. We need to get stronger ourselves and use our own strength to fight, if ever needed again."

"Our own strength?" You paused. "You know, when we were fighting side by side with the Timburr, it felt really weird. Like I couldn't ask you the names of any items or anything, and it just... I don't know. It was kind of this awkward tense feeling."

"I know what you mean. That's because we're a team, right? Partners."

"Partners?"

"Something wrong with that?"

You smiled. "No. Not at all."

"Well, then, goodnight. We'll be doing quite a bit of physical labour tomorrow, from the sounds of it."

You groaned. "Yeah, yeah. Don't remind me."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The second morning, the five of you had met up at the empty lot just after breakfast at Swanna's. Gurdurr had asked that you two take care of the more detailed workings while he and the Timburr built up the framing itself. For a few hours, you worked on window frames, and for a few more hours, you began to wonder why anyone would ever willingly go into such a trade. After a lunch break too short, it was all you could do to not ask Gurdurr why he'd fallen in love with carpentry, of all things.

Again, in the afternoon, Quagsire came. With him he brought some pots and bowls. Didn't know you were into pottery, you'd said. He smiled. 'Think of it as a welcoming gift.'

By the end of the day, the foundation was already laid down, and most of the framing done. Things were starting to look good. The Timburr seemed pleased. Even Gurdurr did, at least a little. You all went home with a smile on your face.

The third morning, while mulling over how much you'd be charged if you kept staying at the inn, everyone gathered at the house in record time, before the sun had even risen. Quagsire was still nowhere to be found, but everyone present set to work immediately. Since the two of you had finished all the window frames the day before, you were now tasked with making glass. There was, thankfully, a lot of sand on the road to Hazy Pass.

The trip there and back went without a hitch, with not a single Pokemon attacking you. You do suppose it was to be expected, since it wasn't a Mystery Dungeon, like the actual Hazy Pass. Maybe the Pokemon world wasn't as bad as you thought outside of the Mystery Dungeons, save for its corruption of other Pokemon: maybe, just maybe, that was what drove Gurdurr over the edge. And maybe Scraggy, too.

Lugging back the heavy bag was no easy feat, however, and it felt like you were losing more sand than bringing back. A trail of rusty red followed you all the way home.

Once back, you'd told everyone that your Dragon Rage only worked if you were unbelievably angry. Gurdurr nodded, and sent the Timburr off to get some Blast Seeds. We have some too, Jen had proposed, but Gurdurr had brushed her off. We should be the ones who are grateful to you for giving us a second chance.

As you and Jen breathed almighty fire onto the sand (god, was that SPICY), you watched it slowly but surely turn to a strange, uneven glass, so unlike the perfect, artificial kind back on the other side. It was blurry, more translucent than transparent, and tinted a dusty colour, but you loved it all the same. This was something you'd made for your home, and you were keeping it no matter what.

By the end of the third day, you were way too sweaty for your own good, and so was everyone else. A little cooling-off by Quagsire later (No fair! He can shoot water too?!) and you're all standing, dripping wet, looking at the acorn frame of what will be your home.

That night, you dream of sailing, the wind at your back. The ocean, rough yet calm, stretches into the sunrise. Jen smiles.

When you wake the fourth day, Gurdurr and Timburr are already up and building. Two or three days left, they tell you. We're almost there.

That afternoon, after having installed the windows into the walls, Quagsire had come and begun on the interior decorating. All in all, things were moving well. Very well. The carpenters were working on finalizing the roof, and then getting ready for some details the day after. You tell them you're looking forward to it. They say yeah, we're looking forward to it, too.

That night, all six of you sat inside the house, a little fire already started in the make-do fireplace. They'd still have to waterproof everything and take care of finer details, but they were pretty much done. The roof was already up, and thank god there hadn't been any rough weather lately.

The last night in the inn, and you said sorry to your wallet. The fifth morning, you all got to the home a little later than usual. You and Jen worked together on placing decorations on the outside. She'd climb up and place little leaves and flowers, while you'd decide the best positions from down on the ground. By noon, the outside was already ready for presentation, save for the chimney, which had to be taken care of last, because it involved fixing the inside.

That night, you all said your goodbyes when it was nearly the sunrise, and went home blearily. It'd taken a little longer than expected, but everyone powered through with sheer adrenaline and excitement to see the final product. It was time to head home now, and admire the work later. You realized then that this was your home, and that there was no need to leave. You fell asleep with a sheepish grin. There was no need to leave now.

And now, as all six of you stand before your home, you're speechless.

Brown and a slightly darker brown, the house looks something like a cross between an acorn, a tree, and a mushroom. Branches sprout out of the sides, making it seem like a ground-level treehouse. It's nothing like you'd though it'd be, but way better than anything you would've imagined. Carpenters indeed, they have a real passion for their craft. And you love what they do because you can tell they do as well.

"Sorry it's so bad," Gurdurr mumbles, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm afraid this is the best I can do right now."

Timburr shrugs. "Well, even if it doesn't look very pretty, I had a good time doing this job."

"You said it," his brother adds. "This has got to be the most fun I've had in a long, long time."

"Yeah! It's like... it's kind of shabby, but it's not REALLY shabby..."

"It has a certain kind of warmth to it," Jen says, beaming.

"Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the work we did," says Timburr. "In an odd sort of way."

The lanky Timburr smirks. "Though it really isn't much to look at."

"It doesn't matter," you say, finally finding your voice. "I love it. We all love it. Every single one of us put our hearts into it, and that's what counts."

"Yes," Jen says. "Thank you all so much."

You're so happy you cry.


	19. Chapter 18

You wake up to a roof.

It's bright. You sit up. Oh, right. New home and all. Sunshine filters in through the windows. They're still closed. You can see the dust where the light pools in squares on the floor. A large plate of apples sit on the floor, next to some firewood. All around are small vines and bushes and leaves. A lone tree trunk sits as your table, a cup of water sitting on top of a plain tablecloth. More assorted bowls lie scattered around the house, along with various plant parts. Not Jen, of course.

The Pokemon in question is already gone from her straw bed. You stand up and stretch. The bag is gone, too. Maybe she went out early? You walk over and eat the simple breakfast on the table, then wash up and head outside. You'll never get used to walking around butt naked all the time, you swear to god.

Outside, Jen is checking out the outside of the house. It's been nearly a week since you've finished construction, but she still is always looking at it for any wear. It may be Gurdurr and the Timburr's hearts and souls, but it's yours and hers, too.

"Good morning," she calls.

You wave. "Hey. You ate already?"

"Yes. You?"

"Yeah. Thanks for setting out the food and all."

"No problem," she says as she comes back around to face you. "You know, I'm thinking of starting to expand Paradise now that we have a home."

"How?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe we could add facilities and services."

"What, like shops? I thought that Paradise was just going to be a kind of happy haven."

"We could construct exclusive shops, or activities, or have rare wares. Don't you think it'd be useful to us, too?"

"What do you mean?"

"If we are to continue being explorers."

"Sure, I guess. But I'm not sure that's what makes it a paradise."

"Post Town, which has flourished so, is due to it being a convenient location to rest and gear up for the Mystery Dungeons. We can be a sort of companion village to start off, to emphasize more on meeting new Pokemon and taking a break. I'm not sure: I don't want to set a clear idea just yet."

"I mean, I kind of get what you mean. I don't know. Let's just go with the flow."

"Precisely. Now, for facilities, I was thinking more something along the line of agricultural fields and training areas, rather than stores."

You nod. "Yeah, that makes more sense. It'd benefit everyone else, too!"

"Exactly. And the same pure water from Post Town runs along Paradise, too. We can turn this arid area into a lush countryside in no time."

"You like the wilderness?"

"Yes, it's something I didn't get to see much of as a child."

"Me too, but I guess I was always told that it was dangerous to go outside. Here, I can defend myself, for the most part."

"Is the human world dangerous as well?"

"Actually, not really. I'm not sure what happened. Technology developed, and everyone grew scared of going outside."

"That's strange."

"Now that I think about it, it really is." You shrug. "So, what's our first plan of action for today?"

"Of course, we should start with preparing land for development. There are a lot of boulders and fallen trees on this property, so we should take care of that beforehand."

"Right. And then start building?"

"Yes, but this is a very vast land. I think we also need some more Pokemon we can trust to help us. Not to mention pay off all the money we'll need..."

"How many are you thinking of?"

"As many as we can recruit, but we need only two more Pokemon to join us to register as an official exploration team."

"Will that give us that explorer's badge?"

"Yes! Adventures would be a breeze, and we'd have very little need for Escape Orbs, save for emergencies."

"Still, I don't want just anyone on our team."

"Of course. We want to build a real team, with Pokemon we can trust."

You scratch the back of your head. "Still, this is a lot."

"I know. There's not a chance that we'll be able to accomplish all of this at once, but we just have to start small and keep moving forward."

"Hello... good morning..." A slow drawl comes from the other side of the bridge, and Quagsire crosses over to greet you.

"Hi."

"Good morning," Jen says. "Surprised to see you up so early."

"I always... wake up... early... it's simply... that... I have... other... matters... to take care of..."

"I see. Whatever are you up to today?"

"I... have something... to show you..."

Being led by someone else through your own property feels wrong, but the two of you follow him anyways, curious to see. Had there been a fight, maybe some commotion?

When you all cross over the stream and come closer to the entrance to Paradise, you see a big, emblazoned billboard, chock full of papers. A bubbly blue rabbit Pokemon sits behind a counter next to it. It turns to face you, and smiles. "Good morning."

"Good morning," you say. Jen greets the Pokemon as well. What's going on here? When had they built this? Granted, the two of you hadn't left Paradise for several days, merely just scouting out the territory that was now in Jen's posession. What's this new signboard?

"Consider... this bulletin board... a gift... from me..." Quagsire claps his hands together. "I'm calling it... the... Request Board..."

"Did you post these requests?" you ask him, stepping on your toes to take a closer look.

"No... they're from... other Pokemon..."

"What?! Others already know about us?!"

"Hmm... well... you DO own... the entire... desert... right across... from Post Town... and... Gurdurr... IS... the only... carpenter... in town... you know...?"

You look at Jen, unsure how to feel about this information. She's looking closely at the content of the papers.

"We'll get rewards for helping some townsfolk with their troubles?"

"Yes... you are... the creators... of paradise... after all..."

"I see. And Azumarill here takes care of these, I presume?"

"Yes... simply... hand her one... and she will... open... the Request Gate... for you..."

"Alright. Thank you for your aid, both of you."

"It's no problem!"

"Yes... and one... more... thing... please follow me..."

Quagsire leads the both of you farther west, closer to the entrance to Paradise. There sits a small blue building remniscient of Quagsire's features, and frankly imitative of the Post Town facilities as well. Beside it is a Deposit Box.

"As I am sure... you can see... I moved... one of the... Deposit Boxes... from Post Town... to here... as well... I trust... you will use it... to keep a handle... on your items... and money..."

"Right."

"I've started... a shop... as well... I've not... many goods yet... but if you come... talk to me... I'll show you... what I can offer..."

"Thank you, Quagsire. Of course we will. You've been of much help."

"You're... very welcome..."

"Is there any specific reason for why you are so nice to us? You've done all of this, and the map, and showed us around, and even helped us build our house." Jen cocks her head innocently.

"Who... knows...?" Quagsire gives a passive shrug. "Maybe... it's just... that you two... are trying so hard... for something... and... when I see... something... like that..." He coughs. "You two... are quite... incredible..."

"Thank you," Jen says carefully. Measured. "You are as well."

"Now then... will you two... be taking on... a request... today...?"

"Of course," you say. "For others to help us, we must first make it known that we help others."

"Well said..."

When you look at the Request Board, nothing catches your eye in particular. Jen tears one off after a few moments' consideration. You catch a glance of it.

Please! I can't seem to find my way out of Stompstump Peak!

I'd thought I could make it through this kind of mountain on my own...

But before I knew it, I'd completely lost my way.

I'm sorry to ask, but please help me!

-Dunsparce

When she prepares to hand it in to Azumarill, Quagsire asks to take a look.

"Not a very... glamorous... request... is it...? And the money... you'll earn... isn't much... either... are you... quite sure... about this...?"

"Of course. Out of all the requests on the board, this Pokemon seems to need our help the most. Aren't we makers of Paradise? Then, to us, the reward isn't as important as helping out someone really needs it."

"I... see... your honour... impresses me... still..."

Jen nods. "Now, shall we be getting to your store?"

"Of course... come... now..."

After a few minutes of browsing, it's clear there's nothing for you there save for the three Reviver Seeds you bought right off the bat. Dirt poor now, you say your goodbyes and head into Post Town.

It's a quiet, peaceful day: the kind of day this village is made for. White clouds drift lazily across the vast blue above. A slight wind stirs the leaves and grass. Some Pokemon are out and about, greeting a new traveler.

"Where'd you come from?"

"I'm a world traveler. I just sort of ended up here."

"Do you like it here?"

"I'm not sure. I just got here, after all."

"Why'd you come? Are you an explorer?"

"Come where? Where am I?"

You tap on Jen's shoulder. "Who's that?"

"Trubbish. A Poison-type Pokemon. Want to go talk?"

"Nah," you say. "The guy kind of smells. Didn't he say he was searching for the filthiest places in this world? And besides, he's probably just passing through. Just like everyone else."

"I suppose. Now, then, let's hurry. We don't have much time if we're rescuing a Pokemon from a Mystery Dungeon."

"So it's a race against the clock, too? It's on."


	20. Chapter 19

It's another puzzle.

When you jump up from the last grass-covered platform, that's what you think. Stompstump Peak, a naturally carved puzzle into the side of a cliff. All those requests, Jen had told you, led into Mystery Dungeons, she was pretty sure. Every last one. There's no way you'd be not facing danger from here on out.

This, a Mystery Dungeon? Sure, yeah, you do see some Pokemon out of the corner of your eyes, but this screams everything but. A brilliant, splashing waterfall, lush grass, and for once, all the leaves on the trees are green. Old wooden ladders dangle from the edges of cliffs, and multiple caverns lead deeper inside the mountain. It seems more like an old abandoned forest trail reclaimed by nature. Though you guess that's kind of what all these Mystery Dungeons are, really.

You look up. Two or three more floors until the top, guarded by an impenetrable waterfall. Though there're probably many more levels inside the actual dungeon, rather than just the outside. Who knows how long this Mystery Dungeon is in actuality? Pokemon are dispersed all inside and outside. So you really can't avoid a battle.

Despite its appearance, though, the mountain trek is really quite straightforward. Go in these caverns, ascend, go in other caverns, ascend. Inside, the mountain seems much gloomier. The walls, ceiling, and ground are composed entirely of gray-white pebbles, packed into darker, humid earth. The occasional fern juts out from behind a particularly loose stone. Mud streaks the earth in some parts, noticeably in footprint patterns. You hope these wild Pokemon are no good at tracking when you notice the colour of your own two feet.

The first Pokemon you fight, and first new Pokemon you learn the name of is a Tympole. A Water-type Pokemon, Jen tells you. It's the one you first spotted when you arrived, but it doesn't pose much of a threat. Though still injust in that it has a water gun (more like bubble gun, really) to combat your impotent fire, the two of you together take it down easily, knowing what tricks are up its sleeves. Not that it even has arms. Jen's 'super-effective' Vine Whip takes it down in a single blow. The same move isn't so strong against the Sewaddle on the riverbank.

In the first cave, you meet the first Dragon-type Pokemon ever since you. Bagon, and all it really does is get mad and charge right into the wall next to you. You're not impressed with the rest of your lineage. The couple of them that swarm you go down easily without your help.

One of them drop a Totter Orb, another a Max Elixir. An ambiguous bronze bottle, the kind you get at shady back lots. It gives you strength to keep going, Jen tells you. Like an energy drink, you guess. Sure, she says. But it only gives you attacking energy. If you're going to faint from injuries or something, it won't do a thing. You put it in the bag without a second glance.

The next Pokemon you encounter is a Grass-type called Petilil. This one proves to be more problematic. Its absorbing attack replenishes its health with yours, and it's even worse when you're swarmed, all at once. They can even spray out seeds that trap you and absorb your health until they or you pass out. Thankfully, you learn then that Grass-type attacks aren't very effective against either of you, and though it takes a while, you manage to defeat them, and are rewarded with Oran Berries for your efforts. You gulp them down, every last one.

When you arrive at the first set of steps, you stop and take a drink from a large pool of clear water, surrounded by short-cropped grass and weeds. Jen had told you that all the water in this world is pure and clean. You don't tell her about the sanitary water shortage back in the human world. These places are so, so different, and yet the exact same.

When you arrive on the second floor, a little green chameleon sits in wait on a patterned red carpet. He smiles at you.

"Isn't that Kecleon?" you whisper.

"Not the one we know," Jen replies. Then, to the stranger, "Sir, why have you opened up shop in a Mystery Dungeon?"

"I'm a travelling merchant, I'll have you know. And I've experienced my fair share of adventuring as a youngster. A little cave like this is a walk in the park. Now, would you two like to buy something?"

You hesitate, but step onto the carpet. On it are spread seeds and Orbs of various kinds, some you recognize, some you don't. You don't dare ask Jen what their names are, for the presence behind you. You simply watch her as she looks over the price tags and the wares. Finally, she says, "No, thank you, we're fine."

"Well then, please come again to Kecleon's Bazaar!"

After fighting through a couple more rooms and corridors of no note, the two of you come out into fresh air again, now one floor higher.

"Looks like we're on another plateau."

Jen huffs. "We've kept an eye out this whole way, but there's still no sign of Dunsparce."

"What do they look like, anyways?"

"Oh, forgot to tell you about that," Jen says. "Tall, really tall, yellow, dark stripes, drill-shaped tail, little white wings."

"A giant bee?"

"What?"

"Nevermind."

As you ponder over just how strange it'd be to save a giant bee (and, hey, weren't these guys all up and dying back in the human world?), Jen walks around the little field, searching for any clues.

"If Dunsparce flies, it won't leave any tracks," you tell her.

"Dunsparce doesn't fly."

"What? It has wings."

"I know. They just kind of slither on their bellies."

"Wow."

Then, a new voice, a girl's voice, and not the one you've been hearing this whole time. It's high, but not shrill nor painfully so.

"Who are you?" The owner advances towards you, big ears and long tail flopping about. She looks like a mouse, or a squirrel. The hostility in her eyes is plain to see, but she looks a bit scared, too. You're not sure how to react. Jen doesn't move a muscle either, simply waits for the Pokemon to finish looking you two over. The newcomer's eyes narrow suspiciously.

"Well, I think it's safe to assume you're at least somewhat civilized," she fnally says.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Not enemy Pokemon at least, not the ones from this dungeon."

"I see. And it's plain to see you're not either. Are you an explorer?"

The Pokemon shrugs. "I'm looking for someone here."

"We are as well, as part of a request," Jen says, curiosity piqued. "Dunsparce?"

"Request?" the Pokemon echoes. "Oh, the bulletin board thing."

"You saw it?"

"Yeah," she says, laughing a little. Then, quietly, "So there are still Pokemon desperate enough to work for that dinky reward, huh?"

"That's not the reason why-" you begin. How dare she mock you two without even knowing the reasons behind your actions? But Jen cuts you off.

"So, you are looking for Dunsparce as well? Aren't you also doing it as part of a request?"

"What? No way!" she exclaims, looking offended. "I know him personally. He's my best friend, got it?"

"I see. Would you accompany us, then?"

"I think it's best to search independently, as we'll have a greater chance of finding him."

"Well, as long as we're working together towards a common goal, I think we might as well introduce ourselves. I'm Jen, and this is Ned."

"Cool, I'm Emolga. And," she adds. "Aren't you two a little young to be out here?"

"How old are you?" you ask.

"6673 days." Oh, great, math again. But, then, that means she's

A legal adult.

No way.

"I see, you are our elder by more than a thousand days," Jen says politely. You're still not sure what to make of all this.

"Well, back to the more pressing thing," Emolga says. "You see, Dunsparce is my best friend and he's super important to me and stuff, but he's got his weak points, too. He's kind of a wuss sometimes, and he pretty much always needs someone to bail him out when he gets in trouble. So the thing is that I came out here because I was getting pretty worried myself, and, um... okay, well, I kind of forgot where I was going with this, but just keep that in mind. He might be scared if you do anything, like, you know... so, just... take good care of him if you find him first, alright? See ya."

Without a glance back, Emolga leaves, going back along the side of the plateau.

"Dunsparce causes quite a bit of worry, doesn't he?" Jen says with a smile.

"I can't believe Emolga is at least eighteen years old! She acts like she's five or something!"

"Emolga is a Pokemon that doesn't evolve, so in this form, Emolga's both fully mature and just been born."

"Evolve how? Genetically?"

"Sure. When a Pokemon matures, depending on the species, they'll evolve into something completely different. It sometimes depends on age, but mostly on maturity and experience."

"Do we evolve? What stage are we at?"

"We have three stages, both of us. We're at the first."

"Guess that makes sense," you mumble.

"Anyhow, we need to keep going. Who knows what Dunsparce is up to right now?"

Up along the river's edge and over a wooden plank bridge, through the unkempt fields of grass and tall oak trees, there's no sign of Dunsparce out in the open. You search in the leaves and underwater, and keep looking up at the sky just in case the little guy can fly, because really, why have wings otherwise?

"How about we try searching inside the cave again?"

Following Jen's suggestion, the both of you go back into the cliff edge, fully intending to climb to the top, just in case the little guy somehow made it up there. It's as gray and earthy as before, with no noticeable changes in the environment, save for slightly more intelligent Bagon that bit instead of blindly ramming themselves into the rocks.

"Those guys bite hard," you mumble. "Feels like I've been paralyzed or something."

"No, that's not real paralysis. It's a temporary form of it. We call it cringing. You can't do anything for a few moments."

"Is it some kind of poison?"

"Maybe a psychological one."

Either way, you've learned more in the Pokemon world in the two weeks you've been here than your entire life at school. Hey, that's a Chesto Berry! It causes insomnia! And, whoa, over there! That's a Max Elixir! It gives you attacking power! Things you would've never been able to memorize about the periodic table.

When you come back into the fresh air at the very top, the mist sprays onto you. The water is really strong up here, you realize. It must flow from the very top of the mountain. The flowers up here, vivid whites and purples, seem much healthier than the ones at the bottom, with grass growing in bald patches on the bronze soil.

At the edge, there is a cave you hadn't seen from the previous plateau. It's hidden in a canopy of ferns and leaves, but it is big, certainly high enough to fit even two or three Gurdurr. You can't see inside, but on the other hand, there really is no other place Dunsparce could be.

But when you step inside, there is but a room, and a corridor leading farther in, the same as all the other floors. White-gray pebbles packed in earth, ground occasionally streaked with mud, some leaves poking out from the nooks and crannies of the loose stones. There's nothing here that's different from any of the previous floors.

"So, it's down the corridor and into god-knows-where again?"

"Yes, there is no other course of action for us," Jen agrees. "Though I worry how deep this cavern will go."

You walk towards the hallway. "Well, it can't be endless, that's for sure. We'll find him for sure."

"Wait."

"What?"

"Ned, come take a look."

"What is it?" Upon approaching the wall at which Jen is staring, eyes shining, you notice blue. A faint blue glow. It's emanating from the ice-blue crystals embedded into the wall. They shine despite the lack of natural light inside, and you notice a slight similarity to the blue gems Gurdurr had you collect in Stony Cave. But this is different: there's something more pure about these, more untainted. They're almost clear, and yet they reflect light perfectly. You kind of want to bring one home.

"You know, if you look into one like this," Jen says, changing her angle. "You can see yourself, like in a mirror."

You try and get a good angle too, wondering how you're looking today. When was the last time you looked in a mirror? Your hair's probably all greasy from the lack of shampoo, and a mess from not having a brush. Speaking of brushes, your teeth have probably rotted through by now, and you wonder if you've gotten enough sleep lately and if you have bags under your eyes and

Right. You're an Axew.

"Sometimes I forget I'm a Pokemon as well."

"Must be different."

"Tell me about it. Our worries and problems are the same, yet so different."

"Do you worry about your appearance?"

"Kind of, or else I'll probably get laughed at."

"What?"

"It's kind of complicated. You know, weird human stuff, blah blah blah."

"I know weird human stuff."

"Right. What?" You back up from the crystals. "Anyways, I was thinking we should bring some home, they look like they'd make for nice decorations."

"Of course."

After only managing to get out a single crystal (man, they were REALLY into that cave wall), the two of you head onwards into the cave. There's a slight fog in here, maybe from the elevation- you're not really sure how the weather works- and a constant, quiet sound of water from the rivers that encircle the entire mountain. Enemy Pokemon appear on time, almost dutifully, to attack the two of you. You spare a moment to wonder if Emolga's alright, and hope this doesn't turn into a rescue mission rescue mission.

You know enough of the enemies' tricks by now to not have to use up the Oran Berries they leave behind. Your stash of items continue to grow, and at this rate, you're sure you'll be able to set up your own shop in Paradise, never mind having to deal with all the development and construction.

"How much more space do we have in the bag?" you ask Jen.

"Don't underestimate an adventurer's bag. We can carry nearly double the amount of items we have right now."

"Isn't it heavy though?"

"No. Weightless and all."

As your feet start to ache from all the walking, you soon come across another new item that Jen tells you is called the Zinc Band. It increases your Special Defense, she tells you. So, basically, defense against non-physical attacks, like flamethrowers, water guns, and even things like psychic waves or dark energy. You're more scared than comforted by the kinds of possible attacks she names. You wear it for whatever little protection it offers right now. Certainly none against the brutal jaws and headbutts of the Bagon that prowl these parts.

When you see natural light the next time, it's not out of a side cave, but in the ceiling. Steps carved out of wood, contrary to the strange artificial stone ones, lead up into the light. You can hear the rush of water on the other side. There's no hesitation at all between noticing it and bursting through.

The Pokemon you see on the other side is completely new, and at first you don't realize it's what you've been looking for the whole day. Yellow, sure. Striped, sure. Wings, check. Drill tail, of course. Lack of limbs, all present. But this isn't what you imagined Dunsparce like, not at all. It looks more like a plush toy than a living creature. Can it even see with closed eyes like that? And it's tall, too. Shorter than what you were as a human, but from this new point of view, this Pokemon's a giant.

The Pokemon lets out a cry of fear and jumps up on his tail. He spins faster than you can see and drills all the way into the ground. Wait, what? Did he just go underground?

You run over with Jen a split second later, and are glad to see that Dunsparce hasn't completely gone through to the floor below. He sits in a small crevice of dirt a few of your body-lengths under the surface. You can see his face. Not his eyes, though, so you can't really tell what he's thinking.

"You're Dunsparce, right?!" you yell down into the hole. "We came because we saw your request! We're here to help!"

His lisp is evident from the get-go as he stammers through sorries and thank yous and snakes back up his tunnel. Covered in dirt and mud, he looks as nervous as the new kid at school. He doesn't say anything, and you realize that even though he's vastly larger than the both of you combined, you're the ones towering over him in everyone's mind.

"Thank you for saving me, I really, really, really appreciate it," he murmurs. You think he's crying already. And then he is, full on sobbing only a moment later. You feel kind of bad.

"It's alright now," Jen says quietly. "We're glad you aren't hurt."

Then, a new voice, a girl's voice, and not the one you've been hearing this whole time. It's high, but not shrill nor painfully so. Wait, wait, you already went through this before. It's Emolga, and she's coming at high speed, and screaming Dunsparce's name like a battle cry.

"Emolga!" Dunsparce cries. He meets her halfway and buries his giant head into her arms.

"Thank goodness. So this is where you've been this whole time!" She looks at the two of you in turn. "So I guess you guys found him first, huh? You ain't half bad explorers, you know? You've got a knack for this. Thanks for finding him. We kind of owe you big time, now."

You smile. Somehow, getting a compliment that half-baked felt good, coming from Emolga. "I was going to tell you we weren't doing this for the reward, you know."

"Weren't you?" she says with a grin. "I know who you two are, you know. And I think that helping others is reward enough for you."

"Alright, alright," Jen says, not without smiling herself. "We can talk all we want later. For now, it's time to go home."


	21. Chapter 20

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for rescuing me!"

Standing next to the bulletin board in the Paradise Center (what Quagsire had dubbed the portion of Paradise west of the river-bridge next to your house, including his shop and the Request Counter), you face the two new faces of the day. Dunsparce, having collected himself from the earlier tear-letting, is flooding you with gratefulness. Emolga stands next to him, patting his back. Dunsparce looks like a giant pancake in his natural position, you notice.

Quagsire watches all four of you without a word. He seems to be amused, but you can never tell, because he's always amused. Azumarill has already taken off for the day. A true adventurer should only set out at the crack of dawn, she says.

"Oh, right, your reward!" Dunsparce squeaks. "Sorry, sorry, I forgot all about it!" Then, to Emolga, "Hey, I forgot the reward at home, do you have anything for them?"

Emolga sighs. "What would you do without me? I knew you'd forget, so I went to your house and got them for you. Here," She turns to face Jen, and takes things out of a regular leather bag. "A Blast Seed, a Red Key, and the money we promised."

"Thank you, but we don't really need-"

"Spare me the dramatics," Emolga says. "Please, take it. You still need to sustain yourselves."

"Emolga... is right..." Quagsire adds. "What they want to give... you should accept..."

"Yeah!" Emolga says, a mischievous grin showing her teeth. "Just take it, you dummies!"

After the two of you finally give in, Quagsire beams. "Well... you two succesfully completed... your first request... that's wonderful... now... you deserve... some rest..." He waves, and waddles away. "See you two... tomorrow..."

Beside you, you hear Emolga, worried. "I'm glad we found you this time, but you've got to stop being so reckless, Dunsparce."

The Pokemon in question whimpers. "I know. It's just that... you know. I just really want to be the one rescuing, for once."

"That's something you can do if you try."

"But I'm not strong enough! And I get afraid so easily. And I always lose my nerve just when it counts. And I'm always messing up everything for everyone. And then everyone has to come and rescue me. I'm sorry for always dragging you into these things, Emolga. I'm just not cut out to be an adventurer like you guys are."

Emolga huffs. "That's not true!"

"You're just saying that because you have to."

"No! I know things don't always go well for you-"

"They never do."

"But your heart's in the right place, guy. It's pretty hard to find such passion for exploring like that these days."

Dunsparce doesn't say anything, but Jen steps in, seeing the same opportunity you do. "So you want to be an adventurer too, Dunsparce?"

"It's my dream. Well, it was."

"Don't give up so easily."

"I've been going after it for a long, long time. This isn't easy for me. Kids like you are rescuing Pokemon like me. I'm a failure."

"Don't say that, it's-" Jen stops, reconsiders. "Dunsparce, why did you want to be an explorer?"

He hesitates. "Well, I thought it'd be awful nice to see all kinds of different places on adventures, of course. But I also wanted to help others who were in need. I wanted to give courage and hope to those who were suffering."

"So, if you give up on that dream, won't you be just letting those Pokemon suffer? Won't you just be leaving them there, when they need your help?"

"I can't do anything."

"Not if you say that. And maybe not right now. But you will be able to."

"There's a huge gap between dreams and reality, you know," Dunsparce says quietly. "Just because you can do it doesn't mean I can."

"Dunsparce, do you know what my dream is?"

"You're the one who owns this land, right? Then, to build a Paradise for all the Pokemon in the world?"

"How plausible does that sound?"

Dunsparce doesn't reply to that. "Look, it doesn't matter, it's over, it's done, I'm not going to be an explorer anymore."

"Why'd you want to go somewhere like Stompstump Peak again?" Emolga asks softly.

"I just wanted one of the crystals there."

Wordlessly, Jen takes the one you picked up and places it on the ground in front of Dunsparce. She watches him closely, and his eyes begin to water.

"It's this one. The one I was looking for. Too bad I wasn't strong enough to get my own..."

"Then it's yours," Jen tells him. "We just picked it up because it looked pretty, but if it's what you put yourself in such danger for, it probably means more to you than to us."

Dunsparce is about to cry again, but he chokes out, "Thank you so much! I'll never be able to pay you back, adventurers."

"Jen and Ned," you say.

"Jen and Ned..." Dunsparce mumbles, turning the names over in his mouth. "Weird. But you're Snivy and Axew, right?"

You realize then that you can't tell the full story without revealing your true identity. "It's a bit of a long story, but we'd prefer if you called us by those names instead."

"I see. Jen and Ned. Jen and Ned." Dunsparce tilts his head. "Two boys making their own Paradise in the middle of nowhere, huh? You kids are crazy."

Jen sticks her tongue out. "I'm a girl!"

"How old are you, Dunsparce?" you ask.

"5476." What's that? 14, 15 years old? Not that old.

"Whoa, then," you stutter. "What's up with the age difference between you and Emolga?!"

They pause and look at each other. "You think we're...?"

"No, no, no, not at all," you say quickly, backtracking. Can't let them know that was actually exactly what you were thinking. "I mean, as an adventuring pair."

"Oh," Emolga says. "Well, you know, bros are bros, no matter how old."

"You're a boy?"

"Wait, you thought that-?!" Emolga sighs. "Kids these days, so assuming, so blind."

"What?! No! Bros are bros, no matter how old, right?!"

"How old are you two?" Dunsparce asks. You just follow Jen's lead and say that you're about a dozen days younger than her. You haven't even thought about trying to measure your own age in days.

"If you don't mind my asking," Jen says, coming back to the matter at hand. "Dunsparce, why were you searching for that crystal?"

He goes completely red but doesn't say anything. Emolga smiles. "So that's it? You didn't have to go to such trouble, you know. I could've gotten it for you."

"No way! You're much more charming than me! You would've-" he cuts off, burying his face into the grass.

"You wily scamp!" His best friend teases. "So that's what you were after, huh?"

"Oh, now we're getting into gossip, are we?" Jen says, wearing a mischievous grin. "Sure, I think we have time for this."

"Hey, Dunsparce, you want me to tell it, or can you muster up enough courage to prevent me from twisting everything the wrong way?"

Dunsparce groans. "Just go. Just do it."

Emolga giggles. "Well, Jen and Ned, here's the story. Assuming the two of you were gone for the last week or so- I mean, I didn't see you anywhere or nothing- I've got to tell you that things happened."

"Yeah?" you urge her on.

"Yes, a very, ah, shall we say, absolutely gorgeous and beautiful Pokemon came into Post Town. Everyone grew enamoured with the lady, I could practically see their eyes all glued to her. And though, yes, I must admit, she is indeed very pretty, I don't see anything desireable about her personality."

"Drop the prose, please," mumbles Dunsparce's face from the dirt.

"Okay, fine. So, anyways, everyone fell head over heels for her the moment she came into town. Like, literally, everyone was swarming her and everything. No, seriously, like, even all the little kids- you know, Rufflet- they were all talking about how perfect she was looking every single day. Wow, even the shopkeepers wouldn't stop staring. 'Tall, graceful figure', 'cool confidence'... the list of traits they could think of just went on and on."

"Where does Dunsparce come in?" you ask.

"Don't say it like that!"

"Shh, be patient. So the other day, she went into the inn, and sat next to the carpenters, who I swear were drooling!"

"The carpenters?! Gurdurr, and the Timburr brothers?!"

"You know them?"

"They built our house!" You chew on your lip. "So, uh, continue."

"And everyone followed her into the inn, and everyone in town was in the inn at once, and Swanna was just, like, sitting there, and watching. She was like, 'oh god, again?!' and it was the best thing I've seen all week. So everyone in the inn was flirting with her at once, and I would've thrown up at that point, but Virizion just kept saying things like, 'thank you', and laughing super daintily. And then, Gurdurr asked her to stay in Post Town forever, even though he knew she was a wandering vagabond."

"Wait, what? So about Dunsparce?"

Emolga sighs. "He likes her, okay?"

Dunspace groans loudly.

"He'll do it tomorrow. It'll be big."

"We'll make sure to come in and watch," Jen teases.

You think a break would do a world of good, too.


	22. Chapter 21

You wake up to a face full of fur and a mouth full of, "Wait, what?!"

After smacking aside the furball that is Emolga's tail, you sit up and look out the window. Both your body and the lighting outside is telling you it's way too early for this kind of thing. How did he get into your house, anyways?!

"Come on, Ned," Jen calls from somewhere that sounds vaguely like the door. Did she let him in?

"Come on," Emolga whines, smacking you with his tail over and over. "Look, Dunsparce woke up extra early this morning, thinking he could sneak out and confess before anyone else realized. But I did. So I came all the way here just to tell you guys. Wouldn't want to waste my efforts, right? Come on, you don't want to miss this."

After admitting that, yeah, you really didn't, you wash up and get your things ready. Since there's no weight in the bag, there's nothing wrong with carrying the adventurer's bag wherever you go.

All along the road from Paradise to Post Town, Emolga spouts words like a fountain. Talking about his friend, and Dunsparce's love life, and Dunsparce's this and Dunsparce's that, and boy does he really care about the guy. He wasn't exaggerating when he said he was his best friend. You actually don't mind, and he's actually kind of adorable in a cute little animal kind of way.

When you arrive at the entrance to the inn, you catch Dunsparce looking in. Around his neck, on a loop of string, is the ice-blue crystal from yesterday. He jumps when he sees the three of you arrive, all mischievous grins and giggles. "Maybe I should've made my move before you guys got here..."

"Why didn't you?" asks Emolga, settling himself to get a good view of the inside, and what was going on down in the inn.

"Well, you can see." And indeed you can. It is almost exactly the way Emolga describes it happening a week ago. The Pokemon you assume to be Virizion sits at a seat, at the same table as Gurdurr and his apprentices. She laughs, reserved, politely. A crowd of Pokemon gather around her, seemingly inching closer with every chance they get. Swanna watches apprehensively from the counter.

"It's kind of creepy," Emolga mumbles.

You look closely. Virizion IS quite pretty. She looks like a green forest spirit deer. Her eyes are sharp, and her smile is confident and cool. The feather-like leaf on her neck accentuates her natural colours, along with the boot-like hooves. Not what you expected, but definitely fits the criteria.

"Virizion's pretty popular," you mutter, not sure what else to say in the weird awkward silence.

"I can see why you admire her," Jen says to Dunsparce. The latter turns beet red again and growls quietly.

"Well, you'll be a winner with that crystal," you tell him. "It's almost as beautiful as she is!"

"Hey, well said!" Emolga gives you a wink. "Go get her, guy!"

Dunsparce shrinks in on himself. "If I'm not brave enough to be a real adventurer, I'm not brave enough to do this."

"But you were brave enough to try and be a great adventurer for her. Don't let that passion go to waste now!"

"Passion?!"

"Hey, come on. She won't know if you don't tell her," Jen says.

"So? She wouldn't give someone like me a second glance."

"At the very least, you could be friends."

"But I'm not cool enough for even that!"

Jen nods. "Fine. I'm a girl, I'll be your wingwoman, this'll all be fine."

"Wait, no, don't do that!" But as Jen starts going down the steps and you instinctively follow, you know Dunsparce will be forced to as well.

It takes a while to find her in a moment she's not preoccupied, but eventually, the three of you do manage to get ahold of her and motion her over toward an empty table. It doesn't amount to anything, as the rest of the crowd just follows her over to the table you'd reserved. Poor Dunsparce can't catch a break. But this is his only chance to confess. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch the carpenters watching you, and specifically you, with devious grins. It's not like that, you want to tell them, but you settle for letting actions speak rather than words.

Once everyone has settled down, Jen is the one that strikes up the conversation. A natural speaker, as she's proved herself many times over, she asks Virizion simple questions, like where are you from, what did you come here for, how long are you staying.

"So you just recently came to this town too?" Jen adds perfect emphasis on the last word to direct attention back to the four of you, making you seem relevant to Virizion.

Virizion smiles, that perfect, controlled smile, that you can't hate but can't love. And when she speaks, her mannerisms are so like Jen's you would've sworn they'd been sisters. Her words are even more fluid and refined, and you frankly don't know how to feel about the Pokemon.

"You are quite right, though really, the truth is that I've been wandering where I've felt I've wanted to, although this does not signify I have no clear goal set." And her way with words is even greater, directing everyone's eyes back to her in a single sentence. You feel as if like an athlete out of commission, watching your former team slowly getting outwitted by a greater menace.

"Though in the end, to simplify matters, you could only just say I travel wherever I fancy or wherever my whims take me. I desired to come to Post Town for there is a certain something I have sought to see."

"What's that?" Jen asks. You'll never get to give Dunsparce a chance to talk at this rate.

"It is the Rainbows of Hope."

Emolga jumps. "I've heard of those!"

"Those rainbows were once the most famous sight to be seen in these lands," says an old-man like dog Pokemon, only a hair away from Virizion. Yeah, this was really creepy. It's hard to concentrate on this mysterious phenomenon with all the Pokemon around seizing their chance to contribute the exact same thing to the conversation over and over. Or so you expect, but you find yourself drawn into the conversation as well.

"Yeah, they used to appear all the time over the town."

"Overlapping, they were. Imagine seeing something like that anywhere else!"

"Those rainbows were really something."

"It felt like they warmed the very depths of your heart. It was amazing."

"Everyone in Post Town used to see them up there."

"Everyday, I'd think, 'Man, I hope they're there again tomorrow!'."

"They were called the Rainbows of Hope for a reason. Everytime you saw them, it was like you could give it your all all over again, no matter how much you've been through."

"That kept me going back then."

"Yeah, me too! Looking back, it gave me the hope for a brighter tomorrow, every single day."

"They were bright indeed, back then."

"Now, they're all gone."

"Do you think it has anything to do with the Mystery Dungeons?"

"Yeah, you're right, those started cropping up around the time the rainbows disappeared!"

"I see," Virizion says, and everyone goes quiet. "I'd heard of rumours telling so, but I could not simply dismiss it so easy. It is something I've sought, and I shan't abandon anything so long as there is a sliver of a possibility I may attain it."

Everyone cheers her on, telling her not to give up her dreams. Somewhere, lost amid the chorus, you hear a voice telling her that her presence would probably bring them back. You block your ears off completely.

Jen looks disappointed. To you, she says, "I would've liked seeing those Rainbows of Hope as well."

"Me too." Nothing left to say between the two of you, you concentrate once again on Virizion's little fan club and watch for a lull in the activity. As the clamor slowly dies down, you exchange a glance with Jen.

"Virizion," she begins. "There is a certain Pokemon I know who would like to... get to know you."

The Pokemon shows no change of expression. "And who may this be?"

Jen turns to Dunsparce, eyes saying, 'Go! This is your chance!'. Dunsparce seems to sink into the floor. When he finally does speak, his voice is even more of a nervous wreck than usual. "This is for you, Miss Virizion." Carefully, he slides the necklace to which the crystal is attached off his head, and nudges it to Virizion's feet.

"May you be implying this a gift from you to me?"

"Yes! Yes, that's right! So... now, will you be my-?!"

Virizion smiles. "Many thanks for your gift. It is quite lovely. However, while it is very sweet of you, it is not in my power to accept it."

In the silence, you can nearly hear Dunsparce's heart stop.

"My apologies," Virizion continues. "But I simply do not know a thing about you, and I do not believe in bonds formed through methods such as this. Besides, I do not make even friends, so a relation such as this would be impossible for one such as I."

"Why not...?" Dunsparce's voice is quiet, breaking almost.

"In a world such as ours, I do not believe in friends. If, however, say you were strong, I may have considered a bond such as that of an ally in battle. If you were strong, you could have some use to me, at the very least. But from your display I've seen, I do not think that is the case, is it?"

He opens his mouth, and closes it, and opens, and closes, until finally it's the tears that win and force Dunsparce to slither off. The Pokemon in the crowd watch, still speechless. Without missing a beat, Emolga jumps to his feet, screaming for his best friend to come back.

When it's clear he won't, Emolga turns to Virizion, nothing but fury in his eyes, and wish then that he could breathe fire for you. "Virizion! That was outright cold! What is wrong with you?! Have you no care for others at all?! Do you even care about others' feelings?! Do you even know how badly that hurt him?! You could've just accepted his gift, you know!"

Emolga looks from the crystal, to Virizion's expressionless face, to the entrance. Then, spitting at Virizion's foot, snarls and chases after Dunsparce, the Pokemon's name reverberating through the whole building. Otherwise, no one dares say a word. Virizion just watches, almost amused, and that pisses you off.

"He's right, you know!" you yell at her. "That was way too much! You didn't have to point out every individual flaw of his to him, right after rejecting him!"

She remains aloof, facing you right in the eyes. "The land holds no shortage of cheaters, thieves, and liars. I've yet to see anything to believe in."

You, on the other hand, see it right here, right beside you. "That's not true. This world is better than what you think!"

"You are but a child. Know now that anyone who acts nicely has nothing but ulterior motives."

"Stop! That isn't true!"

She ignores you. "Why believe anyone when anyone could simply drown you in empty praise and shower you with pretty words? I believe I'm doing you two a favour by way of warning that friendships such as yours will lead to naught but heartache and disappointment. The reason why I have no friends is that."

Jen bites her lip, but doesn't have anything to say.

"You two wouldn't know, but in the real world, you can't just trust the first one you meet who gives you the least bit of attention." With that, she walks away, lithe footsteps carrying her up the stairs and out of the inn. The silence that she leaves is even worse than she.

Gurdurr jumps up and laughs. "Awesome! She turned him down!"

Other Pokemon join in as well. "Dunsparce was totally rejected!"

The whole inn seems lively once more as everyone celebrates Dunsparce's heartbreak. Jen doesn't say anything, simply stares off, lost in thought. Out of the corner of your eye, you see two Pokemon- twins to you, like Timburr and Timburr- sitting at a table. You hadn't seen them around town before. Are they newcomers? But you don't dare approach them, as every inch of their body seems to be either armor or a blade.

"Hey, you see that?" the short one whispers to his companion. "Just now."

The tall one nods slowly. "Looks like we've just found our new victim."

"Want to go after him?"

"Let's go." With that, the two file out of the crowd and head up the stairs stealthily. You tap Jen on the shoulder, about to say, hey, I think Dunsparce is going to be attacked, but she's just gotten engaged in a conversation with the crowd.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"No, seriously."

"What?" you ask her.

"The reason why everyone cheered when Dunsparce got turned down is because everyone in this room save for you and me have been rejected."

"What, serious?!"

"Serious."

"Even, what, Swanna?!"

"Um... yes."

"She asked her to be her-?!"

Swanna laughs softly. "Well, Virizion is pretty set in her ways. But I had to try."

"Hey, everyone needs to ask her out and get their heart crushed into pieces," Gurdurr says. "It's practically become a town tradition!"

"In a single week at most?!"

Gurdurr shrugs. "When it comes down to it, if we didn't laugh it off every single time she turned one of us down, we'd probably drown the entire village!"

"In what?"

"Tears!" Gurdurr laughs heartily and cries really hard.

Away from the commotion in the inn, a few minutes later, the two of you find yourselves sitting on the cliff, on the top story of the village. The continuous sound of the infinite waterfall sounds behind you. From here, you can see every Mystery Dungeon you've been to so far, save for Ragged Mountain, which is the other way. It's quiet. You guess that everyone's still bawling their eyes out in the inn.

You look up. Endless blue sky, peppered with soft white clouds, as always. The sunshine makes you sleepy.

"Jen," you say. "Do you think the Rainbows of Hope form up there?"

"Yes, probably. This is the highest point in town, after all."

"Are you still thinking about what happened?"

"Yes. Aren't you?"

"Yeah. It wasn't your fault."

"It was. I was the one who had dragged Dunsparce in, more or less, and made him confess. And, you know, he isn't particularly thick-skinned, either..."

"Still not your fault."

"Then whose?"

You pause. "Virizion."

"Why must she act like that?"

"I don't know. Just plain old mean, I guess."

"Maybe." The two of you go quiet again. This was supposed to be a break day, but things feel even worse than normal.

"Are you going to give Dunsparce that crystal back?" you ask.

"I don't know. I don't think he wants it anymore, after all that."

"Will we keep it?"

"If you'd like."

"Okay," you say softly.

"Do you know where they went off to?" Jen asks. "I can't rest easy knowing I've yet to apologize for my actions."

"Oh," you say. "Oh god. I just remembered."

"What?"

You sit up very quickly. "When you were talking with everyone at the inn, I was going to tell you about two Pokemon I saw. They were saying stuff like, our next victim, and whatever, and followed Dunsparce and Emolga out of the inn."

Jen jumps to her feet. "This is my fault, this really is all my fault."

"No, this one's mine. Because I didn't act on that knowledge until now. Who knows what's happened by now?"

"Do you know where they ARE, though?"

Your heart drops. "No. Let's just- let's ask around town first."

"Right," Jen says, but you can feel the panic rising in both of you, fast.

Really. Just can't catch a break.


	23. Chapter 22

Up and down stairs, in and out of buildings.

You look in every nook and cranny for even the slighest information about Dunsparce and Emolga's whereabouts. You're almost certain it's Dunsparce they went after, and not Emolga. Firey personalities like that don't make for particularly good victims.

As you go around asking, others ask you as well. Hey, aren't you the Axew from Paradise? Why're you here? Who are you looking for again? You end up with more new names and faces than clues to where Dunsparce had run off to. Swadloon, Lillipup, two little kids, best friends, playing on the clifftop. Herdier, Lillipup's grandfather, the old dog who knew tons about rainbows and for the last time, DID NOT ASK HER OUT. Leavanny, Swadloon's mother. Patrat and Rufflet, rambunctions teenagers who got straight-up rejected as well. Rampardos the Box Buster's increasing infatuation with the neighbouring shop's Cinccino.

"Something... the matter...?" Seeing wild eyes and sweaty faces, Quagsire waddles up to you two, waving, passive as always.

"Have you seen Dunsparce?" you ask, blunt and straight to the point.

"The one... you saved...?" He nods slowly. "A few minutes... ago... yes..."

"Where?"

"Right... over there..." Quagsire motions to the highway. "He was... with some... strange Pokemon..."

"Red and gray, yellow eyes, saw blades?"

He nods. "As I was coming... from Paradise... I went to check up... on you... you see... I saw the three of them... talking together... at the crossroads... they asked him... if he wanted... to get stronger... and promised... that they'd make it happen... if Dunsparce... were to go... with them..."

"And he believed them?"

"I am sure... they told him... they had... a very simple... method... of getting stronger... and he lapped it up... even after... they asked him... if he had money... on him..."

"Lovestruck fool," Jen hisses to herself.

"They called themselves... the Pawniard Brothers... and told him... about Desolate Canyon... a Mystery Dungeon... not far... from here... they told him... training there... would make him stronger..."

"And that's all it took?"

"Yes... seems your client has... a strong desire... to become stronger..."

"Yeah, for a girl who doesn't even like him back," you mutter. "But he's still our friend, I guess, so we've gotta go help him."

"I hope... you aren't planning... to make friends... with everyone... you help...?"

"Certainly not, but now is not the time to argue about this," Jen says. "We've need of an Escape Orb, and then we'll be off to Desolate Canyon at once."

"You know..." Quagsire continues. "Just before... I ran into you... there was another... who asked for the same information... and reacted much... the same way..."

"Emolga?"

"Yes... do be careful..."

"We will," you say. "Be seeing you, Quagsire!"

Transaction done in mere moments, using the money gained from Dunsparce's rescue mission, you throw the Escape Orb in the bag, hastily scan over the general direction Hazy Pass is in on the map at the crossroads, and hurry on your way. Just can't catch a break, really. A rescue mission even more dangerous and with stakes higher than the last.

Now you don't see this, but I do, I see it, and I see Virizion standing behind you, watching you, thinking, just thinking.


	24. Chapter 23

North of Hazy Pass, north of Stony Cave, the farthest north you've been, it's Desolate Canyon. Even on the map, the environment doesn't look too different from that of Hazy Pass, save maybe the colours a little colder, and no doubt the area itself.

Your suspicions are confirmed true when you enter the Mystery Dungeon itself. Walking along the bottom of the gorge, looking for the stairs up, you find that this place is poorly named. Canyon, sure, but some rooms and caves are too wide, and there are trees and miscellaneous plants thriving down here. Desolate? At first glance, maybe, but then the wild Pokemon attack.

Usually, the first thing you remark on in Mystery Dungeons is the environment: in this one, there are large, rounded rocks, usually dark, washed-out ones, lining the floor and walls of the canyon. Moss and leaves grow in the cracks, not unlike in Hazy Pass. Full trees grow in some sections, but most of the taller flora are saplings condemned to death. That's how you feel as well the second you step in there.

The first enemy you encounter, Jen tells you, is a Vullaby. A bird Pokemon that looks barely out of its shell, and already it's fighting. You give it no mercy, scratching and tackling, but the first chance it gets, it swoops to Jen and plucks an Oran Berry out of the bag, gulping it down at once. Back to full health, the Flying-type comes swooping down on you.

Cheaters and thieves, these Vullaby are. Plucking out your resources to heal itself. When you finally manage to defeat it, losing a Chesto Berry to the first one alone, Jen tells you that there are certain things Pokemon can do to defy the laws of the bag's subspace, and this is one of them. You say it isn't fair until you reach the second floor, where the Pokemon that stands in front of you is a candle.

Blue flame, blank yellow eyes, melting white wax. It's the brightest thing there, under the clouds that make dark gorges even darker. With a running start, you ram into it, as you can't imagine fighting fire with fire is a good idea. Not that your fire's too great at the moment. Though it crashes to the ground in a pile of melted wax and embers, you find yourself nursing the left arm that had touched it. So even the wax is that hot. That's a Pokemon to watch out for. Jen laments that neither of you have very effective long-range attacks that don't have weird conditions, such as Vine Whip, where the vines are actually part of her body, or Dragon Rage, where you need to be angry beyond belief. She tells you to be more careful around Litwick, since there really is no loophole here. Too bad you don't have anything that heals burns yet, she says, but an artificially induced burn in a Mystery Dungeon will go away when you move on to the next floor. Still doesn't help that it saps your health as you walk, and makes your attacks weaker.

On the third floor, you are greeted immediately by more enemies. They look like little cute zebras, but they're anything but. After having consumed the last of the Oran Berries, Jen tells you those were Blitzle, and as you can see, the crests on their head can easily gore. They can control electricity as well, and you were lucky they didn't unleash it against you. The soft, more blunt blows of the Audino you encounter on the same floor don't hurt as much anymore.

The next floor is relatively calm. You amass enough money to buy another Reviver Seed and find another one of those Gold Bars Cofagrigus wanted. You get a real scare when you find a sleeping Pokemon. Instinctively (by now) charging in to get the first hit, and you find that your entire body weight being slammed into it at full force doesn't even make it stir.

"A Klang," Jen tells you. "Don't mess with them. If you can't even wake them up with all the strength you have, then there's no way we'll be able to defeat one."

Knowing there are Pokemon like that in these Mystery Dungeons keeps you humble for a while.

The flowers of all hues get more sparse as you climb, as well as the trees. Only the moss clings on, ever so desperate to survive, as well as the weird algae-like stuff and the lichen. You remember being told that lichen is just a cross between algae and fungi. Fungi? None here, save for the mushroom Pokemon, Foongus. Pleased to make your acquaintance, you look very edible. Longer dungeons drive the both of you insane.

Croagunk is the next one, the first Poison and Fighting-type Pokemon you meet. Thankfully, its venom doesn't stay in your bloodstream for long: Jen tells you that like the burn, poison goes away after you go up the stairs in these Mystery Dungeons, but if only, if only you had something that cured it without having to suffer through an entire floor!

On the seventh floor, you can safely remove the poison dart from before, and if any of these damages stayed, your left arm would be beyond flayed. Your right arm, too, now that the bird Archen is throwing rocks at it. How can a bird even throw things? Complete with traditional bird foot claw attacks, bird wing claw attacks, bird beak fang attacks, is this even a bird? A dinosaur in the most literal sense. It kind of looks like a rock, too. The texture of its beak reminds you of turtle shell.

When you climb to the eight floor, you're so close to the top you could probably climb out of the gorge. The walls are nigh uniform, almost like very old and worn bricks. Overhead, the weather has worsened. From darkening clouds to a thunderhead, it could rain at any moment. It will rain at any moment now. Ah, weather. Always reflective of the situation at hand. The clouds seem to boil.

It wasn't that long ago that Dunsparce himself climbed up here, aided by the Pawniard Brothers. I saw it happen. Mind if I take over for the rest of this chapter? It's frankly been quite boring for the last thousand words or so.

"What's the matter?" one of them had asked, since Dunsparce had just stopped in the middle of the trail. Stammering a little, he'd said that he should probably just go home after all. You would've agreed, were you there.

"Go home? Why?" The Pawniard Brothers' faces were blank, expressionless. They simply watched their prey, and wondered how to go about it from there.

Dunsparce was really nervous, and admitted that he was just really upset back there. He said that when he'd heard what the two were saying, he thought that he wanted to get a lot stronger right away. He's really truthful, the guy. One of his many redeeming qualities that most don't notice.

He expressed his doubts then. Said that that was the reason why he'd come so far, but that he wasn't so sure anymore. Wasn't so sure that simply getting stronger was what he wanted. "And besides, now that I think about it, no one can become strong just like that, right?"

Pressing all the wrong buttons, he said, "So, I'm going home. Good-bye!"

As he slithered as fast as he could from the situation he finally detected as dangerous once calmed down, one of the Pawniard commanded for him to stop. Would you have disobeyed him, I wonder? Dunsparce didn't. He stopped, and faced the two criminal minds despite every instinct screaming at him to flee. Though whether that was courage or cowardice, I still don't know.

"So you figured it out? It's a bit too late for that." Taking their time, the Pawniard Brothers came and surrounded Dunsparce, so that he could only flee were he to break past them. Being all armor and blades, like you described, it'd be certainly difficult both physically and psychologically to force one, especially one such as Dunsparce, to do that.

"That's right, just like you said. No simple way to get strong."

Bluntly, the other Pawniard said, "What we're after is money."

"So out with it! Hand over your cash! And all your stuff, too!"

"If you hand it over without a fight, we'll let you off easy this time."

Then, that's when Emolga appeared. "Don't you dare touch Dunsparce!"

Running up, guns blazing despite being at an enormous disadvantage, he faced the two petty outlaws. He's too brave for his own good, I think, sometimes. But that's why he fits with Dunsparce so well. And that's why this setup works.

"Freeze, you two! Don't move a muscle! Dunsparce is my best friend, you hear?!"

A Pawniard chuckles. "Friends? Well, we don't really care either way, but are you planning to fight us?"

"You think you can win against us?"

"Hey," his brother says. "We'll just take this guy's stuff, too."

After that, that's when you appeared. What you saw was different: Emolga and Dunsparce fighting an already losing battle against the two Pawniard, then you and Jen swooping in to save the day. But let me tell you now: nothing is what it seems. You are in this story to be the hero that saves the world, but other Pokemon have their own stories to tell. Emolga and Dunsparce are the most inseparable of friends, and they have depths you've not yet imagined. Emolga's bravery in the face of danger, especially in regards to Dunsparce, isn't something you have, not for yourself, not for Jen, not anyone. Dunsparce's quiet purity and innocence is something no one has taken note of save for Emolga. What seems unreasonable to you is just something you've not seen yet. And surely you've noticed by now that you're not the main character, you're just the odd one out.

Who is the main character, really, when we see things only through your eyes and mine?


	25. Chapter 24

Back to you now- we need to keep the narrative moving, after all- and you're tripping on Jen's heels as she runs towards the Pawniard up ahead, screaming stop and justice. You do your best to get some emotions brewing as fuel for your fire, which you'll surely need at a moment's notice now.

Emolga sighs audibly in relief when he spots you two coming. "You're late!"

"Sorry, Emolga," you say. Lightning flashes overhead. Awesome.

"Dunsparce!" Jen yells, ignoring the Pawniard Brothers completely. You keep a watch on them, because you know she can't spare a thought for anything else right now. "Dunsparce, I'm sorry for what happened back in town. I shouldn't have pushed you to do that."

Dunsparce is still shaking. Just what did these two do to him? He doesn't seem hurt, at least.

"So, how about it, you convicts?!" Emolga shouts at the duo. "Your chances don't look so good now, do they?!"

The shorter Pawniard sniggers. The taller one does as well, adding, "So, Emolga, or whatever your name is, you think you've got us surrounded, huh?"

Emolga freezes.

"You think this is a battle that'll just come down to sheer numbers?"

"No way," you mutter. "We were so concentrated on rescuing Dunsparce we didn't even realize that-"

"That's right," the shorter Pawniard says, and now he's full on laughing. "It's your turn, lads!"

"Aye-aye!" You weren't kidding when you said the ground was high up enough here to simply climb up. From the top of the canyon, Pokemon stream down from the sides, skittering along the walls. Bugs or spiders, both of the two species coming are at least twice as big as you, if not more. Numbers? They win. Size? Give me a break. And it's not like you'd be as inconsiderate to force Dunsparce to fight in a situation like this, either.

"You've got to be joking," Jen says. "We prided ourselves on predicting a plan as transparent as Gurdurr's, but we didn't see this coming?!"

The thunder crackles loudly, almost as if striking your very bones. A split second later, you feel the first drop of rain. Within seconds, it's a downpour. The lawless Pokemon have got the four of you surrounded, but you don't need to keep your eyes open to know that. You squint against the torrential water fall.

Somehow, the Pawniard's voice rings out loud and clear above the thunder and equally thundering rain. It's a laugh that can be hardly called one. "So, Emolga, your chances don't look so good now, do they?"

"You did think that the side with bigger numbers would win, didn't you?"

Emolga snarls fiercely, but is forced farther into the middle as the Pokemon close in. You feel Jen's tail brush against your back and there really is no way out of this but to fight with all you've got.

Dunsparce whimpers. "Everyone..."

"We'll protect you."

"No!" he suddenly yells. Every last one of you jump. "No! I'm not going to run anymore, to have to have everyone else rescue me! I'm going to fight my own battles from now on. I'm going to fight, and I won't be afraid anymore!"

You smile against the storm, as the wind and rain beats down on all of you. You never hated the rain. "Then there's no holding back now."

"Oh, dear me," a Pawniard sneers. "Should we be afraid now?"

"Wow, the dough we'll be bringing back is four times our original plan."

"Let's wrap things up, then. It doesn't look like any more chumps will be coming."

"Come on, lads."

Lightning flashes then, and the clap of thunder follows so soon after you can feel the earth shake underneath your feet. You are blind and deaf for a moment, and in the next, you see and hear something completely different than what you would've thought.

The rain dulls all your sense, but you hear a voice yell, through the storm, "Hold it right there!"

When you see the flash of green, you don't believe it, much less wonder what exactly has happened, is happening, and will happen. Stepping out into the canyon, avalanche of raindrops pounding on her, she loses no dignity, only looks even more regal than before. Didn't I tell you she was watching you, and thinking, just thinking? Sharp eyes meet each and every one of yours. She settles to glare at the Pawniard Brothers, disgust plain to see.

"Who're you?" mutters a Pawniard.

"Get out of here, woman, you can be of use to us later," the other brother adds with a laugh.

"Pawniard," she says, and the lightning flashes, and the thunder roars, and you're pretty sure Virizion controls electricity like Jen said that Blitzle do. But you keep watching, without a word. "Pawniard. You claimed that you had these Pokemon surrounded, did you not?"

"What do you want?" Pawniard snaps. "Just leave, b-"

"Oh, don't mind me," Virizion says with a soft smile. "I'm not looking for anything specific. Just felt the need to let you know that you are a liar."

On cue, Gurdurr runs in, charging at full speed. His eyes are burning with determination, not even blinking when the water from above hits him at full blast. He's absolutely covered in mud and dirt, running down the sides of his body as he stands, exposed to the sky. Behind him are his apprentices, equally worn but just as pumped up. The three of them circle around and surround the Pawniard Brothers and their henchmen.

"Hey, Pawniard Brothers," Gurdurr says. The thunder is no match for his words. "These two kids are my precious customers, you hear?"

Timburr cuts in. "If anything happens to our customers-"

"-you won't be getting off easy!" All three of the carpenters face the inner circle, glaring.

Virizion steps forward, forcing the Pokemon into being sandwiched between two rings of attack. Her eyes are half-lidded with contempt, voice a cutting edge now. "Taking advantage of the weakness found within Dunsparce's heart with such a plot... good try, perhaps, but it's plain to see just how pathetic you are."

"What, need this many Pokemon for something this little? You really are all weak," Pawniard snarls. "Like we'll lose to you fools."

"And still the hypocrites try," you mutter.

Jen sweeps her gaze over everyone, eyes full of fire that burns despite the crescendo of the storm. "Alright, everyone! Let's go!"


	26. Chapter 25

The battle goes too fast.

The first strike is made by a Pawniard. Closest to Virizion, he dashes forward and attempts a slash. You're not surprised to see an effort so half-baked not go through. The counter, though, you don't expect. Like a sweeping whirlwind, Virizion kicks the Pokemon with her back legs so hard she sends him sprawling. The other Pawniard and his henchmen shriek in protest, and launch themselves at whoever is closest to them.

The big red drill-bug next to you spits on the ground and turns around so that its pointy rear faces you. It doesn't take much to dodge, but then you realize it's not just you and Jen watching each others' backs anymore. Though you jump over onto its back, its stinger goes right into Emolga. Not deep enough to get lodged under his skin and poison him, you realize with relief, but enough to send him yelping, rolling away. Deep enough to draw blood, you notice. 'Sorry," you call. But your voice isn't brave enough to rise above the thunderstorm.

What do you do now? Throwing a quick glance around, you realize everyone is engaged in a skirmish of some sort. Still on the Pokemon's back, you decide to scratch off the Dragon Rage option- any burns you inflict would be soothed in a second by the now bone-soaking shower.

Gurdurr, standing right next to you, takes care of it for you. All you see is a metal beam moving at the speed of light, and the next thing you know, the bug is sprawled on the ground, passed out. "Thanks," you say.

By now, both of the yellow spider Pokemon have been taken down. You have no idea how, but you're glad to see everyone working together. Emolga and Dunsparce, tag-teamming a Pawniard. Emolga letting Dunsparce have most of the glory, and just cleaning up after. The carpenters already whaling on the other red drill-bug. But mostly, you're glad to see EVERYONE working together. And that means, not only also, but mostly Virizion. Without losing a single ounce of grace and confidence, she sends beautifully glowing leaves, razor-sharp shine, straight into the Pokemon. You think then that that is a perfect way to describe the Pokemon herself.

You see, then, Jen, also watching Virizion, a hesitant look on her face.

"Come on, let's go help her out," you say, and reach over to take her with you over.

"That's the thing. She needs no help. She is strong enough on her own to take on all of these Pokemon."

"But she has us."

"She doesn't need us. She's strong. Much stronger than us. A Grass and Fighting-type for a reason."

"No way!" You glance at Virizion, then back at Jen. "A Fighting-type?!"

"Makes sense now, doesn't it?" Jen looks down at her feet, the droplets, unrelenting, flowing down her face. "We need to get stronger, Ned. I keep thinking we're strong enough now, we can do this... but really, it's everyone around us doing it all."

"Don't cry, not now."

"I'm not. It's just that..." A thunderclap, and you hear the others cheering as they see the last of them run off. "It just seems like there's always someone better. Always."

"What's wrong with that?"

You both turn, and it is your all-time nightmare in a softspoken tone. She tilts her head. "There's something you will always be worse at than someone else, but you'll be better at something else than that Pokemon, too. It's just how the world works."

"Awfully happy words from someone like you," you say.

"Who says I'm not a happy Pokemon?"

"Stop being weird, guys, we beat them!" Emolga's cheery voice rings out across the canyon. His eyes seem to glow even in the darkening storm. When the sky thunders again, he cheers even louder. "We really chased away the bad guys!" He turns to Dunsparce. "We did it, guy, we did it! We saved the day!"

The carpenters are beaming as well, despite the increasing amount of mud you see on their bodies. The Timburr in particular seem ecstatic, dancing around the gorge, yelling congratulations to themselves. Gurdurr, ever the steadying factor, keeps an eye on them, smiling.

Virizion, on the other hand, watches the two best friends. Her expression doesn't give away anything, only her eyes move, following their natural bouncing around. You've never been good with English Lit, nevermind that. Jen is looking down at her feet. You've no idea what this means the fair lady's heart fancies, or whatever.

"Hey, everyone," you call, gathering the especially cheerful ones back into the circle. "How did you find us here, anyways?"

"Our lovely Virizion told us," Gurdurr tells you, matter-of-factly. Thinking back, you're surprised the carpenters didn't try to hit on her during the battle. "She said Dunsparce was in trouble."

"You?" Emolga mutters, narrowing his eyes at Virizion. "You don't care how he feels at all. I don't believe that for a second."

Jen nods silently. 

Virizion shakes her head, as if scolding a little child. "I believe you are quite mistaken. Supposing you do not know of it, I had happened to observe you conversing with Quagsire. Of course, I did not have the chance to take in every last detail, but it was more than enough for I to fit all the pieces together."

Emolga snarls, and Jen's glare doesn't fade, despite the downpour desperately trying to wash it away. Dunsparce is still too shaken, and the carpenters are busy gawking at the lady. You guess you should probably say something.

"It doesn't matter. For this, at least, thank you, Virizion, for providing help and calling for backup. Thank you, Gurdurr, Timburr, and Timburr, for answering to her call. Thank you, Emolga, for being so supportive, though I'm sure it goes without saying. Dunsparce is safe now, and we all made it through the fight."

Dunsparce is crying now, tears mixing in with the rainwater, shaking, but the smile on his face is real. "Thank you, everyone. I guess I got rescued again, huh?"

"You fought plenty hard," Emolga tells him, arms wrapped around him in a tight hug. "You did great."

"It's kind of funny, now that I think about it. I was gullible enough to believe that I could become strong, just like that."

"Don't scare us like that again, alright?"

"Yeah, I won't. I'm sorry. But I guess it's my fault, as usual. It's because of me that you all..." Dunsparce trails off. "I really am useless, aren't I...?"

"No way!" Emolga says, a determined look in his eyes. "That's not true. You realized it before it went too far, didn't you? That it's not that easy to get strong." Your eyes flicker over to Virizion. "That, if anything, made all this worth it. And besides- you fought bravely until the end without giving in to fear. I know it. You really gave it your all."

"I think so too," adds Jen.

"And me," you say.

"We all think that, Dunsparce," says Gurdurr. Timburr and Timburr nod eagerly, showing all their teeth in wide grins.

Virizion steps forward slowly. You can nearly taste the tension between her, Emolga, Dunsparce, and Jen.

"I must apologize as well as praise," she begins. "By way of admitting it surely was due to the words I spoke to you that you had to feel such a way. For my actions, I offer unto you my equal apologies. However, do remember what I tell, once more, and that is the matter that there exist Pokemon willing always to take advantage of ones such as you. Dunsparce, you do trust much too easily."

"What's wrong with that?!" Emolga retorts angrily, taking a step forward.

"The way I see it, and so should you, is that it is simply impossible to live in such a manner nowadays. I repeat myself, and I wish for you all to memorize my words, that there is absolutely no rhyme nor reason to trust others."

"That's all your opinion, Virizion," you say. You don't know where you're going with this, so you let your heart do the talking. "It's probably true that you shouldn't trust just anyone you meet straight away." A glance at Jen. "That leads to bad things sometimes, such as today, when Dunsparce trusted the Pawniard Brothers in a single, emotionally consumed moment. But I don't think that you have to press such an extremist opinion on everybody. Is it really that bad to trust others? Is it really so wrong to believe in someone?"

"It appears to me you still do not understand."

"Virizion, I know that there are a lot of dishonest Pokemon out there these days. We even fought Gurdurr when he was still blinded by rage and pulled under, accompanied by Scrafty, one of the most wicked criminals of the west. There are bad Pokemon out in the world, and increasingly so, due to the spread of the Mystery Dungeons. We know that just as well as you do."

"Then why must you keep believing?"

"You can't live without believing in others. If you don't take that first step, no one else is going to open up and trust you, either."

"I do believe I've said I'm fine with such an outcome."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"Are you?"

Virizion looks away, face shielded by the rain.

"You know, Virizion," Jen continues where you left off. "It is much like you said. Someone will always be better at you in something, but you'll be better than that someone at something else. You may be stronger than Dunsparce, than Emolga, than Ned and I, than the Timburr brothers, than Gurdurr. You may be the strongest Pokemon in Post Town. But that means, therefore, that everyone else is better at something than you are. And that's trusting others."

"I find it a weakness."

"You're wrong." Emolga steps up. "Trust forges friendships. Friendships forge bonds. Bonds forge strength. And that strength make friends a real force to be reckoned with! A strength you'll never have!"

"You may be able to fight well, Virizion," Jen says. "But I think that being able to trust each other, having enough courage to do such a thing... that is what bravery and strength are all about. It's real strength. And though we are weak, that courage is what has kept us going, taken us this far." She gulps, and catches your eye. You smile. This is it. Go ahead, you tell her.

"That's why I have to ask..." she falters, but when she begins again, her voice is strong enough to drive out the storm all by itself. "Dunsparce? And you two, Emolga."

"Something wrong?"

"No," Jen says. "I just wanted to ask something. Would you two come join us, and come be part of our Paradise?"

The both of them jump like the lightning strike had been particularly close. "You want US to be part of YOUR Paradise?!"

"I do."

"Why?!"

"You know of our dream, right?"

"Kind of."

"We want to build a Pokemon Paradise." You see Virizion frown. "A Paradise where everyone can live in harmony. And the lot of us, well, we'll go on every adventure beyond imaginable and find all sorts of treasures in hidden lands. We'll enjoy every day full of excitement and fun with each other. A paradise where everyone can live in peace forever. I think that everyone deserves that. No matter what background they come from, where they've been, what they've done. As long as they are good Pokemon deep down, I think everyone deserves to live out the rest of their days as friends with everyone else. That's our dream. And I will see to it finished."

"Wow," is all that Dunsparce forces out through a suddenly croaky voice. You can see the touched tears in his eyes. What a pure, untainted Pokemon. He really does deserve all the good things in this world.

"We'll be needing good friends to help along the way," Jen says, smiling at the both of them hopefully. "No, GREAT friends. Like the two of you."

"Are you sure?" Dunsparce stammers. "I mean, I'm not-"

"Absolutely sure," you say. "Your trust and loyalty is greater than any of ours."

Dunsparce sniffles. "If you'll readily have me, I wouldn't even think of refusing!"

"Well... I..." Emolga's ears droop a little. He hesitates before speaking again. "Well, I mean... I don't really mind, if that's what Dunsparce wants."

"Of course!" Dunsparce cries. "I'll do my absolute best! We'll make a real paradise together!"

Emolga smiles warmly. "Then I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I? I'll give it my all, too!"

"Let's do this!" you say, rallying a cheer as you thrust your fist into the air.

"Yeah!" Jen yells.

Dunsparce throws his head towards the sky, where the rain doesn't let up. It doesn't matter anymore, the weather has no relevance to the situation anymore. A dark and stormy night, yet the best day ever...

"For Paradise!"


	27. Chapter 26

You cheer and high-five, and somehow, within two days, you've already gotten yourselves into a group hug. The cold is soaking you to the bone, but it doesn't matter. Nothing does, save for all the dreams of paradise. The carpenters watch with vague smiles. You hear them whispering, "So these kids have got it figured out now, too." You're glad everyone's good friends now, that everyone who wants to belong does.

Virizion steps forward, hesitant. Her eyes are still narrowed. "Would any of the group of you mind were I to interrupt?"

"You already have," you say, not sure what tone to use. Is she going to admit she was being dumb, or what?

"I find myself with a request for you all," she says. You don't think you've seen her even midly nervous before, let alone this bothered. She's more a sight for sore eyes like this than in her soulless, cool facade. "Would you... would you allow I to join your Paradise as well?"

Eyes wide, jaws dropped, everyone stares without a word, save for the unanimous 'WHAT'.

"The lovely Virizion is actually-?!"

"-going to join these kids?!" Every Pokemon present seems more shocked than the last, but you think Jen takes the cake.

Emolga snarls loudly. His face is contorted into one of beyond fury. "You! After ruining everything for everyone, you expect us to just forgive you and welcome you with open arms?! What are you trying to pull now?!"

Wait, you don't want Virizion there, either! "Yeah! What happened to all your big talk about not making friends?! Not trusting anyone?! Don't think we'll just pretend none of that ever happened! Your actions do affect others, you know!"

"You just say whatever comes into your head!" Emolga yells. "Stop messing with us, thinking it's funny! You said the Pawniard Brothers were pathetic, but I think you are, too! Someone who toys with others like you do isn't a good Pokemon, and therefore not welcome in our Paradise!"

"Is that how you think of my actions?" Virizion looks down at her feet. She's just putting on an act, you tell yourself. Just acting, Ned. Like theater, drama, plays, musicals. A perfect actress, playing every role. "I can understand myself, now, how you came to that conclusion and such a perception. I will also not make any excuse for my words and actions, for we all are knowing that there is none."

"Are you admitting you were wrong?"

"No," Virizion says firmly, something flashing in her eyes. "However, are you quite certain in no way could I be a part of your Paradise?"

"No way!" Emolga cries. "I mean- I don't approve. Never. Jen, Ned, please, tell her to just leave and spare us all the trouble she'd cause if she stayed!"

You realize Jen hasn't said a single word this whole time. "No."

"Then you are sending me off on my way?"

"No. I'm saying that I won't."

Emolga's eyes flare up suddenly, rebelliously. You'd hate to see this get any worse. "What?! Are you serious?!"

Jen hesitates, doubt clouding her eyes for a moment. "Yes."

Emolga spits on the ground at Virizion's feet. "I don't get why I have to pretend to be friends with the likes of her. But I guess I can't do anything if it's your decision. Virizion!"

"Yes?"

"I'll never forgive you. I'll never accept you as part of our group, you got that?!"

"I hear you."

"What about you, Dunsparce?! Don't you feel the same way, after what she did to you?!"

He blushes and says nothing. Emolga is nearly fighting back tears.

"But," Jen clears her throat, a hint of remorse in such a simple action. "Virizion, if you're going to be one of us, that means you'll have to trust us. You will have to believe in every single one of us. Is that something you can do?"

Virizion chuckles softly. "I shall try my best."

"Then, it's decided. As of today, Virizion is also one of us."

"My thanks. I-"

"I'm NOT okay with this, Jen," Emolga says, voice shaking, entire body shaking. "Really NOT okay, at all. Seriously. You know, just so you know. Though, you probably don't care."

"We're trying our best," you tell Emolga vaguely, a hint of a warning in your words.

"Why would you want someone like that in your Paradise anyways?!"

"Did you see her eyes?"

"What?"

"Did you see her eyes when she was speaking earlier? They held guilt, and I knew then that she wasn't a bad Pokemon. She was just hurt, somewhere along the line. And I can't go back on my word: I said I'd welcome Pokemon into our Paradise no matter what background they come from, where they've been, what they've done."

Emolga looks at his feet. "I don't know about this, you guys."

"And besides, consider it a step forward," Jen continues, eyes still a little guilty. "It's the first time anyone has willingly asked to join. It's a milestone, even!"

Virizion clears her throat, and dips her head. "As I was about to say, I will look forward to working with the group of you all. Now, pardon me, but I shall be heading back before the rest of you."

"Of course, my lovely Virizion."

"And Gurdurr."

Wide eyes. "Yes?"

"What you said back there."

"About it?"

"Yes, I suppose I do finally understand what it is you were hoping I'd take from your words."

Gurdurr huffs, a grin on his face. "I don't recall saying anything at all, my lovely Virizion!"

She laughs softly. "No need to act so bashful. Now, isn't it about ready time for each and every of this lot to head home?"


	28. Chapter 27

You're the hero of your story, but here's a little bit of her story as well. Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you this for simple entertainment, but because it has relevance to what you will face in your fate.

Back in Post Town, when Virizion had asked Gurdurr for his help in saving Dunsparce, there happened a conversation you do not know of, you did not know of, you will not know of. But I will tell it.

In the inn, at the usual table, Gurdurr spoke with Virizion. The usual crowd loitering around her was gone at that particular moment- convenient for plot, if you must know- and she was talking solely to the carpenters, with Swanna gazing from the side.

"What?! Dunsparce has been-?!" Gurdurr huffed. "Got it! Then I'll go, too!" Virizion didn't really care about how easily he fell into her fancies at that specific time, nor how the Timburr agreed without missing a beat, claiming they'd go wherever their boss went. Just wondered if that little fool was still okay, and wondered why he'd just believe any old Pokemon he met, like her. What she said, he held in such high regard, though they were really only complete strangers. And the three carpenters at her whim hung on her every word as well. Fools, the lot of them. It's their own fault, she told herself. Their own fault.

She told Gurdurr and the Timburr to follow, but the former stopped her with a soft but sure 'hold on'. It's a tone he doesn't employ unless he's alone with someone, and employ it he did.

"My lovely Virizion," he said. "You may act like you don't trust anyone or anything in this rotten world, but those two kids..."

"Emolga and Dunsparce?"

"I don't know about them, but the other two... Ned and... Jen? Just... don't underestimate them."

"The Axew and the Snivy? What makes them so formidable?"

"I used to be the same as you once," Gurdurr murmured. "I didn't have any faith left in the world. But unlike you, I completely crossed the line and did bad things to other Pokemon. Until quite recently, in fact. But also unlike you, I had the chance to meet them for what they are."

Virizion was hesitant now. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say that this world isn't worth giving up on just yet."

And now, as the group of eight rag-taggers you've formed shamble their way home in what is probably the dead of night, soaking wet, sneezing as many times as you blink, her story is ever continuing, just as yours. Looking down, she sees you and Jen, laughing, smiling together, and Emolga and Dunsparce as well. Up front, Gurdurr and his apprentices laugh heartily and joke around.

She'd been thinking. Thinking about rescuing Dunsparce, how to go about it, what Gurdurr had told her, what she had asked of you all, what your reply had been, and just plain thinking. Thinking of leaving Post Town upon discovering that the Rainbows of Hope had still not yet come back. But now, she thinks about it over again. Perhaps sticking around isn't a bad idea, either.

She gazes at the four of you, the members of Paradise. All smiles and friendship and bonds and family. All this, and didn't you meet only the day before? She realizes that maybe, just maybe, you were right. Bonds forged by trust are infinitely stronger than raw power alone. Not that she'll tell you for a long, long time.

But she does, eventually. Because now, as she thinks to herself that maybe she should stick around, she doesn't go back on her word. Her reasoning being, that maybe, if she stuck around a group like yours, she'd find it someday. The one precious thing she'd been looking for.

But that will all be explained in time, and when you come back to Post Town, all heading your separate ways, I remind myself that this is your story right now, and no one else's. I remind myself you're settling yourself into bed, with not a patch of dry skin, falling asleep almost instantly, nearly forgetting to bid Jen goodnight, starting to catch a cold, and then being asleep, dreaming of the canyon, a small stream coursing through it that isn't there, and a canoe, sitting in a canoe, Jen paddling, and sitting on the back, along with Emolga and Dunsparce. Virizion stands on the riverbank, watching. The storm rages on.


	29. Chapter 28

Night time is always a good time to end a story, but this is far from the end of yours. Get up.

It's morning now, and the sun's beams washes the last of your dream's fragments away. Your dream is what you are living and what you hope to live someday. That's right, the two of you are still going to work hard on building Paradise. Make that the five of you, actually- Dunsparce, Emolga, and Virizion are your allies now, too. You can't help but be wary of the inevitable inter-group tension that will find itself there once you meet up with them.

"Good morning," you say, when you realize Jen's already awake and having breakfast. You feel a little nauseous for no apparent reason. She waves good morning as another apple goes down the pipes. Needless to say, she's an early riser. You wonder what shenanigans she gets up to while you're still asleep.

When you roll over and waddle to the table, Jen tells you, eyes all sparkles, mouth all apples, that there're finally four of you now.

"Five."

"At least four," she says, all playful grin. "It takes at least four to make a team."

"That an old proverb?"

"No, you dumb olive, an exploration team. An official one. We can register with the current members."

"So we get the adventurer's badge thing? No more Escape Orbs?"

"Still wise to keep one on hand, but yes, we do get access to it. Each member receives one."

"Who gives it?"

"I never elaborated on this, but you know by now what the life of an explorer is like. The organization named Helping Adventurous Pokemon Prosper Institute was formed, designed to support Pokemon like us."

"You'd call us adventurers?"

"Wouldn't you?"

"It's just weird, is all. So, Help Extraordinary Living Pokemon-"

"HELP?"

"What?"

"It's HAPPI."

"What?"

"The acronym you would've given me is HELP. The name is- well, it is indeed a real mouthful, so it goes more frequently by the name of HAPPI. Helping. Adventurous. Pokemon. Prosper. Institute."

"Nice. They did that on purpose?"

"They're around to help make adventuring marginally safer for all, so it's certainly not impossible. Not only do they provide the adventurer's badges, they also supply useful items and support in general."

"Cool."

"It is. So, when you're finished with breakfast, come outside. I'll be having a look at the Request Board."

"Sure." Left alone in the empty house, with dust in the sun's rays and a bowl of fruits and cereal, you chomp down. Yesterday was quite the adventure-and the scare- and there's still a hunger in your belly and an ache in your muscles. You sneeze, but no one's there to bless you. Overall, you think you've definitely toughened up over the time you've been in this world, though, as it takes much more to get you down and winded. At least you're fit from being a Pokemon, if nothing else. A higher level of health! You can't say the same of life expectancy.

You think for a while, lost in thought and orange peels. The citrus isn't unlike your time here. Slowly opening up and showing you different sides of the world. At first, the disbelief, the outer, rough peel. Then the fear and danger, the white stuff that you refuse to ingest, but that's still good for you, maybe. Then slowly coming to terms, enjoying life here with friends, the actual juicy part, the only reason these fruits are even eaten. Then, the seeds, the cheaters, liars, and thieves, that you just can't forgive, no matter how hard you try to swallow their crimes. And then, the very inner part of the orange, the little white stem... thing. You can see a bit of it just before you peel the juicy part, at the top. Oh, oh, wait, wait! I've got a good idea for this analogy! It's a greater secret and there's foreshadowing about it right now! Awesome! I'm a genius!

Chugging the glass of water like no other, you realize just how much you've changed. Since that very first night, when you found yourself, lying here, with no house and only a makeshift pile of straw as bed. Since before Gurdurr, and the Timburr, and Dunsparce, and Emolga, and Virizion, and Post Town. The first night you ever spent so far from home. This is home now.

That first night, you saw the stars here for the first time. Was it really the brightest night, or did it only seem that way because it was the first? The sky was brilliantly dark and light. You remember how amazing the world looked away from the city lights, remembered not understanding any of what was going on. You're still not sure you do. You remember thinking about what those stars really were, what the two of you really were. Stardust, you'd said. This world is made of stardust.

You still believe that, in a way. Even those lighthouses have their rough edges.

You feel a little tickle in your throat that won't go away, no matter how much water goes bottoms up. It doesn't take long for eyes to squeeze shut in another sneeze. A little bit of y'know leaks from your nose. This is kind of gross. Your eyes are burning, as is your nose and throat now. Seriously?! A cold, now?!

You bring your wrist up to your forehead. You'd heard that your wrist maintained the right temperature no matter how high the fever went. Your forehead doesn't, especially not in this case, you realize. Great. You really did get sick. That teaches you to go prancing out on a rescue mission in a thunderstorm. You don't regret it for a second, but you sure hope your immune system toughens up as well. Can't just basically allow criminals to do whatever they please on rainy days.

When you walk down to the Request Board, face in flames, Jen greets you with a simple hello and her usual grin. Dunsparce, Emolga, and Virizion are already gathered. It looks like they'd been introducing themselves formally, though Emolga didn't look so glad to see Virizion there as one of your own. Yeah, Dunsparce was a giant- over twice your height, yet socially the smallest. But now, standing in a circle like this, Virizion is a titan. Over three times your size, even with you standing on tippy-toes. She gives you a small smile, slightly held back but not shy. Emolga and Dunsparce both call your name, beaming. You see the ice-blue crystal hanging around Dunsparce's neck on a loop of string, and you can't help but smile despite your current state. The two of you had said you'd keep it, but you're glad that he didn't refuse it when you gave it back to him on your way home the night before.

"The team's all here," Jen says. "I guess it is alright for me to go ahead with my proposal, then?"

"Of course," Virizion says, dipping her head politely.

"Yeah, go ahead, Leader!"

Jen's eyes widen a little at Emolga's new name for her, but looks a little happier for it. "Alright, then. I was thinking that it would be wise for us to discontinue adventuring for a small period of time."

"Wait, what?!"

"How come?" Virizion's cool replies somehow manage to mirror Emolga's hot-blooded cries. Dunsparce stays silent, but his eye(lids) rest solely on Virizion. A teenage boy's crush still, huh. You wonder how old Virizion is. You're feeling like such a little kid at this point. You're not really listening, so maybe you are.

"Please hear my explanation. I propose to take a leave of absence as we have yet to acquire an adventurer's badge. With this many members, it'll be dangerous to keep track of each others' safety in a Mystery Dungeon. It would certainly be safer to wait to receive official status and support before engaging in any more explorations."

"I do see your point, Leader. Agree I do as well."

"Yeah, I get it now. Sure, I'm down with that."

Dunsparce jumps. "Right, me too."

Jen looks to you now. You nod. "A break would be good after yesterday's adventure. I think I'm sick, too."

"Sick?"

"From the rain. Caught a cold or something, maybe. Probably not infectious. I don't know, just don't feel too hot."

"A fever?" You nod. Emolga skips over and checks your temperature. He confirms it.

"Running so high an internal body temperature would indeed hamper your battling prowess and your chances of survival," Virizion agrees. "All the better for us to break for the moment. Leader, have you sent in your application to HAPPI?"

"OUR application," Jen corrects. "And no, I've yet to. I thought it'd be best for us all to decide on a team name together."

Your eyes widen at her, instead of asking. A team name? She hadn't mentioned that. You wonder what kind of name you'll have. Super Extra Team Duper Awesome Mega Zorg? SETDAMZ? Hey, not bad. You'll just have to never ever ever explain what the letters stand for, and why it sounds vaguely alien-like. Hey, alien! Aren't you technically an alien?

Alright, you'll stop yourself right there. Fever hallucinations aren't especially welcomed.

The five of you walk down the road west to Post Town to get some paper and ochre, Jen at the lead. Emolga and Dunsparce chat heartily. Virizion stays behind all four of you, though she's still smiling softly. When she catches you looking, she laughs softly. "I'm 6505."

What's that? 17? 18? She looks it, sort of, at least.

"That's cool," you say. "I'm a little younger than Jen."

"Younger than even the leader?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Of course. You're perhaps a little young to be setting your sights on I."

"Wait, that's not what I was doing at all."

"I see. Then may I ask what?"

"Uh. Thinking. Because. Like. Emolga doesn't. You know. And you don't really."

"Fever?"

"Right. Yeah. Of course." You turn back around and you're not sure that's entirely why your cheeks are red.

Jen, meanwhile, is looking at you, frowning. "You alright? Didn't think you'd be so susceptible to illness." 

"Is it because I'm a...?"

"It's entirely possible. Or," a little louder, "Maybe it's just because you normally get sick easily."

"Hopefully this won't last long."

Jen chooses words carefully. "Hopefully it'll go away as time passes. Not unheard of."

A little farther down, you see Quagsire waddling up for morning greetings. His gait is as slow and carefree as always, but seems mildly surprised to see so many of you. The new members introduce themselves, though you're almost certain Quagsire has already met all of them, save maybe for Virizion. Then again, who hasn't heard of her? When Quagsire introduces himself to them, though, he calls himself your babysitter. They laugh. You don't like the joke very much. Jen doesn't react.

He leaves as well as Azumarill when Jen tells them they won't be needed for about a week or so, until the time HAPPI approves the team. You, personally, approve of the slow shipping time.

In Post Town, you buy your paper and ochre from the general store and head up to the second platform to write. Here, there aren't as many Pokemon as either of the other two floors. A Pokemon (isn't that that Trubbish guy?) looks out from the second floor of the inn, but he's facing the other way. The waterfall runs down into the pool on the first floor from here, and the spray is quite soothing.

"Look at this sign," you say innocently, silently asking Jen to read it for you. "Was this here before?"

It looks old and faded out. You wish you could read the weird alphabet here. Jen looks at it, just as innocently reading it out loud (back to you). "'No swimming allowed! Do not jump or frolic in the water!'"

"Guess everyone forgot about that," you mutter, thinking about the Pokemon that'd been bathing in the pool. You don't see any harm in it. "Though I'd sure like to jump in right about now. My face is burning. I'm 100% sure my cheeks are on fire."

"Fear not, you are correct." You see Virizion smiling at you out of the corner of your eye, and you're all but hotter for it.

"Are you new to town?" Dunsparce asks you. "That sign's been there for longer than I've lived."

"Yeah, we come from the south," you say, pointing at Jen. "Haven't been around here for that long, actually."

"Where south? I've always wanted to go somewhere far from here."

"I'm from Verdant Court," Jen says, saving you. "Ned's from Seasong Beach. We met about halfway here."

"You two adventured together?" Emolga says. "Oh please, you kids and refusing to say that you're together."

"Well, we haven't known each other for that long, either." You don't tell them how important she is to you, despite that.

"I'm assuming, then, that the two of you were raised in the surrounding areas?" Jen asks.

"Post Town, born and raised!" Emolga exclaims. "Dunsparce and I share an apartment."

"How come?"

"My parents moved to the area around Rusty Mountain," Dunsparce says quietly. "They got claimed by the Mystery Dungeon. That's why I want to be an adventurer, to maybe someday save them."

"The dungeon's pull is a strong thing," Emolga murmurs. "A lot of Pokemon have been getting brainwashed by those places, and turned into feral beasts."

"I'm sorry to hear that," you say, echoing what Jen and Virizion put in as well.

"Miss Virizion, where do you come from?" Dunsparce asks, a luminescent blush.

"Fine as well is simply 'Virizion'. Hail I from Treasure Town."

Jen's eyes widen. "That's really quite far."

"You've not come from too close yourself, Leader. And besides, I believe I have mentioned I am, or, rather, WAS a vagabond."

"Wow," you murmur. "We all come from such different places, and we're all all different ages. What a weird team."

"Almost a group of misfits, wouldn't you say?" Jen smiles.

"Kind of surprised your folks let you kids just go wherever they wanted," Emolga says. "You're still so little."

"The times are changing, old man," Jen says, sticking her tongue out. "Get with the times!"

Emolga sighs. "Looks like I'll be taking over Quagsire's role."

"He's not actually that, you know," you say. "I don't know. He helps us out, but he's creepy. I don't trust him."

"Is that so?" Emolga looks curious. "Sounds interesting. I'll keep a watch out for anything weird. Say, where does he come from?"

"That's the thing," you mumble. "We don't know. He owned our land, and sold it to us, and apparently he owns a lot of land elsewhere, too, but I don't actually know. Where does he go at night? What kind of things does he do? How did he become so strangely, scarily passive?"

"It's in his nature, isn't it?" Jen says, a warning in her eyes. 'You're supposed to know that!'

"Yeah, but he's still unnerving," you say. "Maybe it's just because I haven't met that many different types of p-Pokemon. I don't know. Anyways: name."

Dunparce nods. "We'll have to pick a good team name, because we can't change it. Officially, anyways. And it'll make us sound so cool!"

"Leader, might there be any other issue we need to address when sending OUR application?"

Jen smiles at Virizion. "Right, get those pronouns right. And no, I think we need only the team name and the name of members. We'll add new members' names by mail if- no, AS they join. I think there'll simply be a messenger Pelipper sent here to check the validity of the names, so we will all have to be gathered when the messenger comes. I was told it would take only until the next day."

"Then all that remains for us is to choose whatever to call ourselves."

You pick apart your head for a good name. Yeah, no, that thing that ended with the 'z' earlier is definitely out. Think, dude, think: what good word or name can you think of that represents all five of you, and possibly everyone else in the future? Of every single, pure-hearted adventurer in this world?

Meanwhile, the suggestions of Dunsparce, Emolga, Jen, and occasionally even Virizion bounce up and down, some agreements, some blatant 'NO's. What are they made of? Between their laughter at horrendously bad wording and their faces deep in thought, what can you call to mind? The waterfall sprays mist, and the sun shines down, making you sneeze for what is the thirtieth-something time today. What is everyone here made of, what is this beautiful world and its beautiful lakes and mountains, made of?

When you sneeze again, you've got it. The first time, no one was there to bless you; this time, everyone does, at once. The first time, you knew exactly what you'd thought of all this, though you never understood what was going on. The second time, this morning, you did as well. And now, third time's the charm. You know exactly what to say, exactly what everyone and everything is made of on this side of the sky.

"I got it."


	30. Chapter 29

When the last letter is penned in, the most beautiful writing you'd ever seen in dyed dirt, all five of you step back to look.

On a somewhat faded paper are your names. Dunsparce, at the very top, followed by Emolga, Virizion, Ned, and Jen. The letters are not unlike the paper's old worn edges, all curled and brown and rustic. Probably rusty, too. Jen's hand is smeared with the stuff, but her eyes are not even close to dull. Below your names is 'Pokemon Paradise', the name of your home base. Atop your names sits the name of everyone: Team Stardust.

"So we'll get Team Badges now, huh?" Emolga says, satisfied. "It'll be a relief to our lives and our wallets."

"Is that what they are called?" Jen asks.

"What? Yeah. I thought you were just calling them adventurer's badges as slang."

"Oh. No, I was sure that was the name."

Emolga laughs. "Never thought you'd get something that basic mixed up, considering how well-versed you are in exploring."

Jen sticks her tongue out, face red. "Different dialect where I come from, is all."

"Seriously, though, Emolga's Enforcers was such a cool name." You stick out your tongue playfully at Emolga as well.

"M- Virizion, have you ever been on an official exploration team?" Dunsparce asks nervously.

"Indeed, I have."

"Really?" Dunsparce starts to stammer again. "What was it called?"

"The Swords of Justice," Virizion says hesitantly. "Perhaps I shouldn't say more about it. Icky memories, you see."

"Not as 'icky' as someone here," Emolga snarls under his breath. You've tried pretty hard not to catch any of those today, but it's getting more difficult. Though the harmony between all of you in general is increasing, the strife between Emolga and Virizion only grows. Though the latter seems unfazed by it. She catches you looking at her again, and smiles.

"What?" you say.

"Nothing."

"So," you say, turning back to Jen, not sure what just happened. "What're we doing for the next week?"

"We'll get soft just sitting around," Emolga agrees.

"Well, here is my plan: tomorrow, we meet once more at Paradise. I've written that as our home base, if everyone is alright."

"We've no objections, I'm sure," Virizion says.

"Pelipper should be arriving tomorrow afternoon to pick up the form."

"Wait," you interject. "We've been recorded as an official location already?"

"It doesn't take all that much," Jen says. "You did hear Emolga: word travels fast around here."

"That's so cool."

"What shall occur afterward?" Virizion asks.

"It's up to you all. Pelipper won't be back for another week, but since it's wise to not let ourselves waste away in town, we could go on adventures and explore, simply not within Mystery Dungeons themselves. Ned won't be coming, of course, not until he gets better."

"Meanies."

"Is everyone alright with that?"

"Of course," Virizion says, dipping her head.

"Yup."

Emolga beams. "Yay! I'm so glad to be away from Ned for once!"

"Oh my gosh! I'm so hurt! Emolga, you're so mean!"

"Well, good to see you two are getting on splendidly," Jen says with a grin. "Then I suppose that's it for today, you are all free to disperse."


	31. Chapter 30

Okay, you're feeling REALLY bad.

Maybe your face was burning up yesterday, but now half of it is completely cut off. Nigh dead and certainly on its way. Maybe dunking yourself into the pool to cool off yesterday wasn't such a good idea, on top of the rain. You don't REGRET it, per se, but...

"You look terrible," Jen says.

"Thanks. I feel it too." You just want to rip the left side of your face off. "Do we have to go?"

"Calm down, it's only a few steps outside the house. Come eat."

"No," you say as you roll over to the table. You'd done some groceries the day before, but it's really hard to not do them every day when refrigerators don't exist. Jen's face when you'd told her that was absolutely priceless.

You can't even taste the peach you're eating. Peachy. Haha. How funny. You down a glass of water, and set to work on the five hundred million oranges you'd bought the day before. Vitamin C and the magical magic of oranges. Magical. You eat them, and this time, you do eat the weird white parts. You can't taste them either way. The actual part of the orange you're supposed to like just tastes vaguely sour, anyways. You learn as you always do when you're sick that taste buds are a beautiful thing, and you thank god for having given them to you.

"Get some sleep later," Jen says. "For now, we should be getting ready to go and meet the messenger. A white bird with a huge beak, and blue-tipped wings. That's Pelipper."

"Didn't you say he'd be coming in the afternoon?"

"It is noon."

"Hey, perfect, my brain knew just when to wake me up."

"Don't do anything reckless while I'm gone," Jen says quietly.

"Like what? What do I even know what to do around here?"

"Exactly. Avoid talking too much or you might let something slip. Even around the Stardust we have to be careful, which feels unbelievably contradictory."

"Should we tell them?"

"I don't think so. Not yet. We've still yet to smooth out the tension, and there's plenty of it."

"Yeah, tell me about it. So what do you suggest I do?"

"Whatever you'd like. Buy the groceries, make small talk, look around town. We've still yet to fully explore Post Town and learn of its strange obscure shops and residents. Those unique stores tend to be the most helpful."

"I see. Where'll you be going?"

"I've not yet decided. I think I'll let them choose."

You grin. "You like being leader?"

"Um... I guess."

"Well, you deserve the title. Go get 'em, Leader!"

"Now, it feels simply off for you to call me by that name. You're no subordinate to me."

"Oh, and they are?" You cough, but it's followed up by a smile. "It feels weird to call you that, too. What do I call you? Partner?"

"I've certainly no objections to that."

"Wait, you're actually alright with that?!"

"Why not?"

"It's kind of... well, alright. I'll call you whatever you wish. You be careful out there, too. No reckless behaviour or whatever."

"You sound like my old teacher."

"You actually have schools in the Pokemon world?"

"Yes," she says slowly. "But it isn't mandatory attendance. That is why it's not much of a surprise to see children such as us out and about as explorers."

"Oh, I get it. It's like a source of income, right? Even kids have to work."

"You could say that."

"Okay. Well, have fun out there, and bring back lots of loot."

She sighs. "It'll be difficult, dealing with the Emolga and Virizion situation at hand alone. Not to mention Dunsparce is still slightly infatuated with her."

"You think I could do much if I came?"

"Why think so low of yourself?"

"I mean, you're better at dealing with people. I mean, uh, Pokemon. And exploring, and fighting, and you're a fast runner and you're a good speaker and leader and dreamer and-"

"Oh, let it drop. No one is a lesser being than any other. You'll always outshine me at other things."

"Like what?"

"Please, let us not go there. Another day."

"Okay." You can't even breathe out of your nose at the moment. What kind of adventurer are you, even? You groan and roll over, belly full of oranges and a throat full of flames. You can hear Jen drinking the last of her water in the relative quiet. There's a soft hum of wind outside. You close your eyes, but you still feel just as terrible. Still, if you weren't sick as a dog (as a Lillipup? As a Herdier?) you'd be fine with spending your days like this. Basking in the sunshine and talking in the morning-noon quiet. It's a good feeling.

A few minutes later, you hear a knock on the door followed by voices calling for you and Jen. It's the rest of Stardust. You roll over into a sitting position and rub your eyes. No good. Jen walks up and answers the door, greeting the team. Everyone talks for a while, though it doesn't last for long, as the messenger arrives shortly. You try your best to keep up, but you also try your best to tune it out.

When the Pelipper arrives, he looks all five of you over, nods, and thanks you for your application. He flies off then, and the whole process lasts barely more than a minute. You trudge back into the house and collapse on the straw bed.

You dream of a simple white bowl, plain and simple. You wouldn't have it any other way. There is oatmeal in the bowl. You made it. How? You don't know, but you know you made it. You made the oatmeal in that bowl. You made the oatmeal in the simple plain white bowl. Oh, hey, there's a spoon now. You take the spoon. You eat the oatmeal out of the simple plain white bowl with the spoon. It's good. You drink some hot chocolate afterwards.

It's good.


	32. Chapter 31

It's your first day and you really don't know what to do.

This morning, you'd woken up, throat sore but otherwise a little better. The fever was better than yesterday. You'd eaten almost the entirety of the stock of oranges you had left. You're getting real sick of those little balls of sour. After, you'd looked around the house, and realized that Jen must've forgotten to leave you any actual money to buy the groceries with. Now, as you curl up in a little patch of sun on the floor, you wonder where to go.

Eventually, you roll over to the door- you'd been doing a lot of that lately- and go outside. It's already afternoon, judging by the position of the sun. Your head hurts.

As you walk down the path, it's awful lonely. You know that were there any feral Pokemon around here, you'd be taken down without a sweat. Even the Request Counter and Quagsire's little shop is empty. You wonder what kind of Pokemon Azumarill is, and how she's affiliated with Quagsire.

When you come into Post Town, nothing's changed much. The chatter is as always, and Pokemon walking about the square. You gaze at the pool, and consider dunking yourself in again. There are already others bathing and swimming in there. You wonder just how that thing works.

A couple of Pokemon recognize you and you recognize them- Rufflet, Patrat, Roggenrola, and another one. They come up to you, eyes curious, asking you where's your partner, did you two break up, you look terrible, what happened, how's Virizion doing. She's out exploring, you tell them. No, we didn't break up, thanks, I know I do, I'm sick so I'm staying home, Virizion's fine.

"Say," you ask them. "Where's Virizion staying?"

"I knew you liked her too, little champ." A wink at you. "She's staying at the inn. Rumours about her and Swanna going all around."

"Oh boy. Well, see you guys later."

"Later, kid."

You find yourself at the general store later, talking with the shopkeeper. Kecleon doesn't ask as many question, just grins and watches you as you speak. There's something more to him than just bumbly old storekeep, you're certain. You ask him about the Kecleon Bazaar. He laughs, and tells you his entire family are either shopkeepers or travelling merchants, even in Mystery Dungeons. Why, especially in them. The adventurers need the supplies, and they'll pay big bucks, but uh, he says, don't tell anyone else that.

Moving on, you greet Cinccino and browse her wares, though you can't say you think such extravagant gifts are really ever needed. She is nice, though, and tells you to get better soon. You can see then why the neighbouring store's Rampardos likes her so much. Of course, you'd always known she was nice, but not so genuinely kind.

When you greet Rampardos, it's over the ruins of what was his shop. Wood and stone lies in shambles all around his little lot. Destroyed it in a little accident, he says. Got a little carried away, he says. When you ask him what kind of job he does for a living, he says he destroys Treasure Boxes and gives the customer what he finds inside. There are no keys to open these kinds of Treasure Boxes, he says, so someone's got to do it.

Passing by Swanna's inn (you're saving the best for last), cross the bridge across the stream, and there's Cofagrigus' Gold Bar shop. He looks unbelievably excited, despite having absolutely no customers. When you promise him you'll bring him back one later, he's ecstatic. His fascination with the substance has to be seen to be believed. When you ask him why they are found in such a state- solid, pure gold bars- in nature, his glowing red eyes darken. Someone took them, and spread them where I could not find them, he says. Knowing I cannot go into Mystery Dungeons. That Pokemon took them, and spread them all across the world. And I will get them back at any cost. You nod, and don't ask any more. Best not to prod too deep into a sarcophagus' mind.

Passing by the perpetually empty lot, you climb up to the second floor, and you're already out of breath. You wave to Trubbish from the window. Wasn't he in that exact spot the day before? You climb up to the third floor, and take a drink from the fountain. You're unbelievably tired from just going up two sets of stairs. Looks like it was a good idea to stay home after all.

After a while, you do finally manage to muster up enough energy to head back down to Swanna's inn. The noise down here isn't as loud as when Virizion was still here, but the clamor is still fantastic enough. You can hear Gurdurr's bellows from the top of the stairs.

When he sees you, he motions you over, a smile on his face. "Ned! Where's Jen?"

"I'm sick, so I'm staying home. The rest of them are exploring today."

"Leaving you behind, huh? Virizion also went with them?"

"Yeah."

"You like having her there?"

"Sure. The tension is incredible."

Gurdurr frowns. "Between her and Dunsparce?"

"No, Dunsparce still can't give up on her. Between her and Emolga. Emolga doesn't forgive her for what she said, especially to his best friend."

"I see. I did tell her."

"Tell her what?"

"To not give up."

"What context was this in?"

Gurdurr chuckles. "None. How about you?"

"What?" You narrow your eyes. "Okay, whatever. Where're Timburr and Timburr?"

"You looking for them?"

"Not in particular, just wondering where they went."

"Bathroom."

"Together?!"

"Hey, calm down, it's not like that, I think."

"Okay," you mumble. It's weird with just Gurdurr. He's old and just... kind of intimidating and weird and just plain old... just... weird. You sneeze. Gurdurr and a couple of Pokemon from the other tables bless you. You slump down in your seat. Too many blessings can't be good for your ego. Haha. Funny joke. You sink into your chair even further.

Timburr and Timburr show up eventually. They look surprised to see you at first, then smile warmly. "Hey, Ned."

"Hi."

"You here alone? Sneaking out?"

"Yes, Jen forbids me from leaving the house and talking to others. Tells me it's dangerous. Mom and all. What a life!"

The Timburr chuckle. "Yeah, yeah, Mr. Melodrama. Why're you out?"

"I'm sick, so I'm staying home." This is starting to sound kind of rehearsed. "Jen and the others went off adventuring."

"The others? Those two and Virizion joined you?"

"Yeah. You can, too, if you want."

Timburr shrugs. "Nah, thanks, though. Carpentry is more our thing, and we wouldn't leave our boss for the world."

Gurdurr huffs, but he's smiling. "What did I say about watching the sappiness?"

"So, you spending the day with us or something?" one of the Timburr ask.

"Sure."

"Fine with us. Want a drink?"

"No, I'm alright. Didn't bring any money with me today. No point in getting mugged or nothing."

"I can see where you're coming from," Timburr snickers. "But whatever, kiddo, it's on me. Please? As a get-well-soon present?"

You sigh. "Fine. But not too much, please. Don't want any more debt to you all than we're already in."

"Don't sweat it," Gurdurr says. "Swanna! Three of the usual, and one Cheri Light!"

Swanna stops preening her wing from the counter. "This early?"

"For the kid."

"Fine, as long as he says so."

With all eyes on you, you quickly stammer, "Uh, yeah, sure!"

The carpenters lean back in their seats. Gurdurr in particular seems the most relaxed. You wonder how he's been doing ever since the Stony Cave incident, and the battles at Hazy Pass.

"Ned," a Timburr says, leaning over. "Why do you and Jen have such weird names, instead of just Axew and Snivy?"

"They're nicknames."

"What are those?"

"They're..." You pause. "They're like alternate names or short forms of your regular names."

"Why do you two use them?"

"I don't know," you say, unsure how else to go about this. "We just do, I guess."

"It's weird."

"Is it bad?"

"No, it's just weird, different." Timburr grins. "I want one, too."

"A nickname?"

"Yeah, give me one, too," says the other Timburr.

"Do you want the same one or different ones?"

"We can have different ones?"

"You can make it whatever you want it to be. Go wild."

Timburr cheers loudly. "Then I'll make my nickname something I really like! Like building! My nickname will be Building!"

"Oh, oh, I'll be Architecture!"

You hesitate. "Those are both very fine names, but a nickname is best kept short. Screamability."

"Oh. So you can yell each others' names more easily as you pass out or something? Good idea."

"Creates drama, y'know?"

"You're a weird little guy. Okay, I'll be a short form of Building. I'll be a short building. Like a hut. Yeah, I'll be Hut!"

"Okay," says the other Timburr. "Then I'll be a short form of Architecture! Simply put, architecture is... art! I'm Art!"

"Hut and Art," you say. "Weird, but I kind of like it."

Hut pouts. "Your nicknames aren't even words, you've no right to criticize!"

"Boss," Art says excitedly. "Want a nickname?"

"This old guy's too old for drastic change. Gurdurr suits me just fine."

After a few more minutes of laughs and poking fun, Swanna arrives with the platter. On it sits three large glasses, filled to the brim with a yellow juice, and a smaller one, with dark red inside, filled halfway. She places them on the table, and Gurdurr places the coins in her wing, a memorized action, done again and again. He does come here a lot, after all.

You pick up your glass with a small thanks and raise it to your mouth. You can't smell anything due to a somewhat clogged nose, but the taste is still there. You double over onto the table and try your best to wipe off the liquid from your tongue.

"What is that?!"

"Never had Cheri Berry Juice? It's kind of spicy, but the taste of Cheri Berry is pretty diluted."

"What else is in that? That's not what nature should taste like."

Timburr- no, wait, Art leans in. His eyes are glimmering. "Don't tell me you've never had Berry Juice before."

"What?" You messed up. She told you not to talk, to risk revealing something, but here you are. "I had a sheltered upbringing, let's say."

"I can tell," Gurdurr says, laughing. "Never even done something this weak... guess I underestimated your generation. Well, if you won't drink it, I'll have it."

"Please," you say, pushing the glass over. You'd never drink that stuff again.

"Say, Boss, isn't it just about time for dinner?"

Gurdurr looks dazed. "Already? Then I guess we should order some dishes here while we're at it. Ned, you staying?"

"Nope," you say, getting up. "Thanks for the time, but Jen and the others should be gettin back about now."

"I see," Gurdurr laughs heartily. "See you, then."


End file.
